Enhancing Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Liquid Crystal Elastomers through Chain Entanglements
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: In this study, we present an approach to enhance the thermo-mechanical performance of liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) by inducing chain entanglements through mechanical kneading. This process creates a network of highly entangled polymer chains, significantly improving the mechanical properties of LCEs, over a wide range of strain rates and temperatures. Mechanical kneading also improves the actuation performance, resulting in higher actuation stresses, greater contraction, and increased tolerance to self-rupture at elevated temperatures. Chain entanglements can also serve as a crucial enabler for the fabrication of monodomain LCEs. Using entanglements as the initial cross-linking step provides sufficient elasticity to LCEs, enabling the synthesis of aligned LCEs. This work demonstrates the benefits of chain entanglements, offering a pathway for the design and fabrication of high-performance LCE-based actuators for advanced applications.
Authors: Devyansh Agrawal, Gaoweiang Dong, Shengqiang Cai
Institution: University of California San Diego
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,500
Funders: University of California, San Diego, Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, Harvard University, Division of Materials Research, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, University of California, San Diego, Army Research Office
OpenAlex ID: W4410138338