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Microfluidic Preparation of Liquid Crystalline Elastomer Actuators
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A nematic liquid crystal elastomer rotary engine.

Takuya Ohzono1,2, Hirohmi Watanabe3, Eugene M Terentjev4

  • 1Core Electronics Technology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, 305-8565, Japan. ohzono-takuya@aist.go.jp.

Scientific Reports
|December 23, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Nematic liquid crystal elastomers (NLCEs) power a novel rotary engine using light-induced contraction. This soft actuator technology demonstrates continuous rotation, paving the way for advanced soft robotics and energy conversion systems.

Keywords:
Liquid crystal elastomerPhoto-thermal energyRubber engineViscoelasticity

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Soft Robotics
  • Thermodynamics

Background:

  • Nematic liquid crystal elastomers (NLCEs) exhibit significant contraction stress upon heating, exceeding conventional rubber.
  • Soft actuators are crucial for developing compliant robotic systems and novel energy conversion devices.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and analyze a prototype star-shaped rotary engine powered by NLCEs.
  • To investigate the photo-thermal effect for generating continuous rotational motion.
  • To establish a platform for evaluating NLCE actuation performance.

Main Methods:

  • A Wiegand rubber motor-inspired design was employed to construct a star-shaped rotary engine.
  • Four to twelve NLCE contractile elements were integrated to drive a crankshaft.
  • Photo-thermal actuation under white light was utilized.
  • Theoretical modeling was performed to analyze driving torque and internal friction.

Main Results:

  • Continuous rotational motion of the crankshaft was experimentally achieved using white light.
  • Theoretical analysis revealed that NLCE contraction generates driving torque, counteracted by viscoelastic internal friction, resulting in constant speed rotation.
  • The study explored the impact of NLCE element count, light power, pre-tension, and system size on engine performance metrics like speed and efficiency.

Conclusions:

  • The developed NLCE-powered engine successfully demonstrates continuous rotation driven by light-induced thermal effects.
  • The engine's performance is intricately linked to the NLCE's physical properties (liquid crystallinity, phase transition temperature, viscoelasticity).
  • The system serves as a valuable test platform for assessing and optimizing NLCE-based actuators for soft robotics and energy applications.