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Updated: Dec 10, 2025
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Preparation of Monodomain Liquid Crystal Elastomers and Liquid Crystal Elastomer Nanocomposites
Published on: February 6, 2016
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A highly stretchable dielectric elastomer based on core-shell structured soft polymer-coated liquid-metal nanofillers
Yaotian Su1, Gang Sui1, Jinle Lan1
1State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China. suigang@mail.buct.edu.cn.
Chemical Communications (Cambridge, England)
|September 2, 2020
Summary
Researchers developed flexible elastomer-coated liquid metal nanodroplets (EGaIn@PBMA) for energy storage. These soft nanoparticles form nanocomposites with high stretching ability and excellent dielectric properties, reducing energy loss.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Liquid metal (LM) nanoparticles offer unique properties for advanced materials.
- Developing flexible and conductive nanocomposites is crucial for energy storage applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate elastomer-coated liquid metal nanodroplets (EGaIn@PBMA) using in situ free radical polymerization.
- To investigate the properties of the resulting soft nanoparticles and their derived nanocomposites for flexible energy storage.
Main Methods:
- In situ free radical polymerization to synthesize EGaIn@PBMA nanoparticles.
- Hot-pressing technique to form nanocomposites from the as-prepared soft nanoparticles.
Main Results:
- Successfully fabricated elastomer, poly(n-butyl methacrylate), coated liquid metal (LM) nanodroplets (EGaIn@PBMA).
- Achieved ultra-high stretching flexibility exceeding 400% in the derived nanocomposites.
- Demonstrated excellent dielectric properties with remarkably suppressed dielectric loss.
Conclusions:
- EGaIn@PBMA soft nanoparticles are promising building blocks for flexible energy-storage materials.
- The developed nanocomposites exhibit superior flexibility and dielectric performance.
- This fabrication method offers a facile route to advanced functional materials.
