The richness of liquid crystal elastomer mechanics keeps growing

Author:
Open Access
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
In recent years, the field of liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) has grown considerably in size. Applications for these materials promise to be imminent, and yet many unknowns still surround some of their fundamental behaviours. In addition, new thermal and mechanical properties are continually being discovered. In this article, I review and summarise the key properties of an acrylate LCE developed during my PhD and compare them to the material from which it was derived – developed by the Uryama group. I highlight our material’s surprising negative Poission’s ratio and templateable properties and explore the possible structural roots of these behaviours.
Funding Information
  • Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 (Industrial Fellowship)
  • The Leverhulme Trust (ECF-2020-68)

This publication has 31 references indexed in Scilit: