Pith. sign in

REVIEW 3 major objections 4 minor 48 references

The effects of network architecture on the photomechanical performance of azo-acrylate liquid crystal elastomers

T0 review · 3 major / 4 minor · reviewed 2026-08-11 · deepseek-v4-flash

Challenge this review Re-run · record.json Download PDF Read on arXiv ↗ Review JSON

Pith's one-line read Photostress in two-end azo LCEs comes from direct network contraction, with order-parameter change about ten times weaker.

desk verdict Useful three-way comparison, but the mechanistic conclusion overreaches the evidence. read the letter →

arxiv 2412.05791 v1 pith:2KRRSKIG submitted 2024-12-08 cond-mat.soft

Anastasiia Svanidze , Sudarshan Kundu , Olena Iadlovska , Anil K.Thakur , Xiaoyu Zheng , Peter Palffy-Muhoray This is my paper · ORCID
classification cond-mat.soft
keywords azoliquidcrystalelastomersphotomechanicalactuationphotoisomerizationnetworkarchitecturephotostressorderparameterdirectcontractilestressacrylateLCEs
verification ladder T0 review T1 audit T2 compute T3 formal

The pith

A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.

The reading

This paper seeks to establish which of two competing mechanisms produces photomechanical stress in azo-acrylate liquid crystal elastomers. The authors compare networks in which the azobenzene dye is covalently attached at both ends (2-azo), at one end (1-azo), or not attached (free-azo), using the same amine-acrylate chemistry. Thermal stress from heating is essentially identical across the three architectures, and the extent of photoisomerization is also essentially identical, yet the 2-azo samples develop a photostress about an order of magnitude larger. The paper concludes that in 2-azo materials photostress is dominated by direct unidirectional contraction of the network caused by the shape change of the azo moiety during photoisomerization, and that stress from the liquid crystal order-parameter change is minor. If right, this redirects materials design toward aligned two-ended chromophore crosslinks rather than order-parameter softening.

What carries the argument

The load-bearing comparison is the set of three network architectures, dye bonded at both ends (2-azo), at one end (1-azo), and free, made by the same amine-acrylate chemistry with the same dye concentration. Thermal stress measured on a common setup gives the baseline stress from order-parameter change; transmission spectra give the extent of photoisomerization. Because those two baselines are essentially equal across architectures, the excess photostress observed only in the 2-azo samples is attributed to the direct contractile mechanism, in which the two covalent anchor points transmit the cis isomer's end-to-end contraction to the network.

What would settle it

Perform polarized UV-visible absorption or birefringence measurements on 2-azo, 1-azo, and free-azo films during the same 365 nm illumination used in the stress tests, extracting the orientational order parameter in each case. Finding that the 2-azo sample develops a much larger photostress while its order-parameter drop is no larger than the others' would confirm direct contraction; finding instead a proportionally larger order-parameter drop in the 2-azo sample would overturn the conclusion. A complementary check is to heat a free-azo sample so its thermal-stress magnitude equals the photostress, then measure whether the order-parameter reductions also match under the two stimuli.

Watch

Extended reading notes

Core claim

In the paper's own terms, photostress in 2-azo acrylate liquid crystal elastomers is caused by direct unidirectional contraction of the polymer network as azobenzene moieties change shape during trans-to-cis photoisomerization, and the stress produced through a change of the liquid crystal order parameter is about one order of magnitude smaller. The evidence is a three-way architecture comparison: with essentially identical photoisomerization rates and essentially identical thermal stress, the 2-azo samples, where the dye is covalently bonded into the network at both ends, show dramatically larger photostress than 1-azo or free-azo samples. The paper therefore states that the traditional actuation mechanism via order parameter change is not significant in 2-azo materials and that the primary role of liquid crystallinity is to align the photoresponsive azo molecules during network formation.

Load-bearing premise

The argument assumes that reducing the liquid crystal order parameter with light produces the same stress as reducing it with heat by the same amount, even though the two reductions arise from different microscopic changes.

Editorial extensions

If this is right

  • Engineering 2-azo acrylate LCEs for large photostress should focus on maximizing the number of aligned, two-end-attached azo crosslinks rather than on amplifying order-parameter changes.
  • Materials with one-end or free azo dyes will still respond to light, but their actuation is expected to be roughly an order of magnitude weaker unless another mechanism is added.
  • Thermal stress measurements can serve as a standard calibration to separate order-parameter and direct-contraction contributions in other photomechanical elastomer families.
  • In 2-azo systems, the practical role of liquid crystallinity is the alignment of the dye during curing; the light-driven work is done by the contracting crosslinks, not by the loss of nematic order.
  • The photostress of 2-azo samples should be roughly proportional to the aligned cis population, making the stress magnitude tunable through illumination intensity and dye concentration.

Reading between the lines

Editorial extensions of the paper, not claims the author makes directly.

  • A testable extension is to make a non-liquid-crystalline acrylate network containing aligned two-end azo crosslinkers: if the direct-contraction claim is right, it should still show substantial photostress without any nematic order to lose.
  • The assumed equivalence between photo-induced and thermal order-parameter stress could be checked directly by measuring the order parameter under UV light; if the coupling strengths differ, the quantitative share of each mechanism in this paper would need revision, though the architecture effect would remain.
  • Time-resolved photostress measurements comparing the fast cis-formation timescale with the slower collective order-relaxation timescale would provide a kinetic fingerprint distinguishing the two mechanisms in real time.
  • Reapplying the same thermal-baseline method to side-chain siloxane LCEs previously reported to show a 60/40 split might show that the direct contractile share is even larger in well-aligned two-end systems.
Share X Bluesky LinkedIn Reddit HN

Editorial analysis

A structured set of objections, weighed in public.

Desk editor's note, referee report, and a circularity audit.

Referee Report

3 major / 4 minor

Summary. The paper reports synthesis and thermomechanical/photomechanical characterization of azo-acrylate liquid crystal elastomers in which the azobenzene dye is incorporated in three network architectures: covalently bonded at both ends (2-azo), at one end (1-azo), and not bonded (free-azo). Thermal stress measurements show similar responses across architectures, while photostress under 365 nm illumination is dramatically larger for the 2-azo samples. From this combination of results the authors conclude that in 2-azo LCEs the photomechanical response is dominated by direct unidirectional network contraction caused by the shape change of the azo moiety during photoisomerization, and that the order-parameter-change mechanism is about one order of magnitude smaller.

Significance. If the conclusion is correct, the paper provides an important experimental constraint on the long-standing debate about the relative roles of order-parameter change versus direct contractile stress in azo-LCE photoactuation. The experimental design is well suited to the question: the three architectures are synthesized under identical conditions, and the comparison across attachment chemistries is more direct than in earlier studies using different dye structures. The interpretation is an inductive inference from direct measurements with no fitted parameters, which is a strength. However, the central inference rests on an untested equivalence between thermal and photochemical order-parameter stress coupling, and the quantitative claim of an order-of-magnitude separation is not supported by the reported data, which contain no error bars, replicates, or statistical analysis.

major comments (3)
  1. [4 Discussion] The decisive inference in Section 4 assumes that a photo-induced change in order parameter produces the same macroscopic stress as a thermally induced change of the same magnitude in each network. This equivalence is asserted, not tested or referenced. In the 2-azo network the dye is a crosslinker, so its cis form kinks two network strands and could reduce nematic order far more effectively than the same cis population in a pendant or free dye. A larger mechanism-1 stress in 2-azo would also fit the observed photostress without invoking mechanism 2. Please provide a direct calibration (for example, stress versus cis fraction measurements for each architecture, or literature values establishing the thermal/photochemical equivalence) or explicitly weaken the conclusion to state that mechanism 2 is dominant only if this equivalence holds.
  2. [3.3 Transmission spectra] The premise that photoisomerization is 'essentially the same' across the three architectures is qualitative and is not established under the illumination protocol used for photostress. Table 2 reports absorption cross-sections for 2-azo that are about 35-75% larger than those for 1-azo and free-azo at the same mole fraction, and the transmission data in Figure 6 were collected after 10 s of illumination, whereas photostress was measured with 200 ms pulses. Under short pulses, the cis fraction in 2-azo may be substantially higher than in the other samples, which would increase any mechanism-1 stress. Please quantify the time-dependent cis concentration for each sample under the 200 ms, 250 mW/cm2 protocol, or explicitly justify why the absorption cross-section difference does not affect the argument.
  3. [5 Summary] The quantitative claim that order-parameter stress is 'about one order of magnitude smaller' than direct contractile stress in 2-azo samples is not supported by the data as presented. No error bars, replicate measurements, or statistical comparison accompany the thermal and photostress curves in Figures 8 and 9, and the text does not report the numerical stress values used for the factor-of-ten statement. Please report mean values with uncertainties and describe how the order-of-magnitude comparison was obtained; without this, the factor-of-ten claim is not established.
minor comments (4)
  1. [Abstract] There is a typo: 'elatomers' should be 'elastomers', and the sentence beginning 'we discuss our results' should begin with a capital letter.
  2. [Section 3.2] The word 'indentical' should be 'identical'.
  3. [Figure 8 and Figure 9 captions] The captions refer to '0-azo' in the figure labels; this should presumably be 'free-azo'.
  4. [Section 4 and Section 5] There are typographical errors: 'orientationqal' in Section 4 and 'photosress' in Section 5 should be 'orientational' and 'photostress', respectively.

Circularity Check

0 steps flagged · score 0.0 of 10

No circularity; the central claim is an inductive interpretation of direct stress measurements, not a derivation that reduces to its inputs.

full rationale

This paper contains no fitted parameters, no predictive equations, and no derivation that reduces to its own inputs. Its central conclusion—that photostress in 2-azo samples is dominated by direct contractile stress (mechanism 2) rather than by order-parameter change (mechanism 1)—is an inductive inference from direct measurements. The argument in Section 4 is comparative: thermal stress is essentially identical across the three architectures, photoisomerization is reported to be essentially the same (Fig. 6, Table 2), and the 2-azo photostress is dramatically larger than that of 1-azo and free-azo samples. The conclusion is an attribution of the observed difference to the one mechanism that can produce a strong architecture-dependent stress, not a self-definitional tautology. The self-citations (refs. 20, 28, 29) are used for apparatus, background, or a weak temperature dependence statement; none is load-bearing as a uniqueness theorem or as a substitute for a measured input. The untested assumption that photo-induced order-parameter stress couples identically to thermally induced order-parameter stress, and the possibility of unequal cis fractions under short pulses, are potential correctness risks, not circularity: they do not make any equation equal to its input by construction. No circular step is identified.

Assumptions & free parameters 0 free parameters · 4 assumptions · 0 invented entities

The paper is experimental and introduces no fitted parameters or new entities. Its central claim rests on assumptions about equal isomerization extent, equivalence of thermal and photochemical stress coupling, uniform alignment, and polarization independence.

assumptions (4)
  • domain assumption The extent of photoisomerization is essentially the same in free-azo, 1-azo, and 2-azo samples.
    Inferred from transmittance spectra in Fig. 6, described qualitatively as 'very little difference'; not quantified with confidence intervals.
  • domain assumption Thermally and photochemically induced changes in orientational order couple identically to macroscopic stress.
    Needed to compare thermal stress measurements with photostress; not directly tested.
  • domain assumption Unpolarized 365 nm illumination produces no polarization-dependent photomechanical effects.
    Stated in Section 3.4; earlier work (refs 30, 42) shows polarization effects can matter.
  • domain assumption The network is uniformly aligned and stress is transferred without loss from the azo moiety to the bulk network.
    Assumed throughout; no local orientation measurements are made.

how reviews work

0 comments
Cite this review

Pith. "Pith review of The effects of network architecture on the photomechanical performance of azo-acrylate liquid crystal elastomers." pith.science (2026). https://pith.science/paper/2KRRSKIG

@misc{pith2026241205791,
  author       = {Pith},
  title        = {Pith review of: The effects of network architecture on the photomechanical performance of azo-acrylate liquid crystal elastomers},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://pith.science/paper/2KRRSKIG}},
  note         = {Machine review of arXiv:2412.05791}
}
read the original abstract

Azo-containing liquid crystal elatomers are photomechanical materials which can be actuated by illumination. The photomechanical response is a result of the photoisomerization of the azo moiety, which produces bulk stresses in the material. These stresses arise via two distinct and competing mechanisms: order parameter change induced stress and direct contractile stress. We describe thermomechanical and photomechanical experiments aimed at assessing the relative contributions of these. we discuss our results and summarize our findings.

Figures

Figures reproduced from arXiv: 2412.05791 by the authors.

Figure 1
Figure 1. Chemical constituents of 2-azo, 1-azo and free-azo samples [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p002_1.png] view at source ↗
Figure 2
Figure 2. Networks of azo-doped acrylate based LCEs [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p003_2.png] view at source ↗
Figure 3
Figure 3. a. Tensile force apparatus. b. Young’s modulus data for LCE sample with no azo dye. [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p004_3.png] view at source ↗
Figures from the paper (6 more)
Figure 4
Figure 4. Figure 4: Young’s moduli data for all samples. Top and bottom rows are for 2% and 5% free-azo, 1-azo and [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p005_4.png]
Figure 5
Figure 5. Figure 5: Thermal and photostress setup. The filament location is indicated by dashed line. Thermal [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p006_5.png]
Figure 6
Figure 6. Figure 6: Transmission spectra of all samples. Top and bottom rows are for 2% and 5% of free-azo, 1-azo [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p007_6.png]
Figure 7
Figure 7. Figure 7: Photostress and thermal stress in acrylate LCE samples not containing azo dye. The initial stress [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p007_7.png]
Figure 8
Figure 8. Figure 8: Photostress (top) and thermal stress (bottom) in acrylate LCE samples containing 2% 0-azo, 1-azo, [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p008_8.png]
Figure 9
Figure 9. Figure 9: Photostress (top) and thermal stress (bottom) in acrylate LCE samples containing 5% 0-azo, 1-azo, [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p008_9.png]

Discussion (0). Continue with ORCID to comment.

Reference graph

Works this paper leans on

48 extracted references · 48 canonical work pages

  1. [1]

    R´ eflexions Sur Un Type de Polym` eres N´ ematiques.CR Acad

    de Gennes, P.-G. R´ eflexions Sur Un Type de Polym` eres N´ ematiques.CR Acad. Sci. Ser. B 1975, 281, 101–103

    work page 1975

  2. [2]

    Investigations on Liquid-Crystalline Polysiloxanes .3

    Finkelmann, H.; Kock, Hans-J.; Rehage, G. Investigations on Liquid-Crystalline Polysiloxanes .3. Liquid-Crystalline Elastomers - a New Type of Liquid-Crystalline Material. Macromol. Rapid Com- mun. 1981, 2 (4), 317–322. https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.1981.030020413

    work page arXiv 1981

  3. [3]

    Warner, M.; Terentjev, E. M. Nematic Elastomers—a New State of Matter? Prog. Polym. Sci.1996, 21 (5), 853–891. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0079-6700(96)00013-5

    work page doi:10.1016/s0079-6700(96)00013-5 1996

  4. [4]

    Bioinspired Design of Light-Powered Crawling, Squeez- ing, and Jumping Untethered Soft Robot

    Ahn, C.; Liang, X.; Cai, S. Bioinspired Design of Light-Powered Crawling, Squeez- ing, and Jumping Untethered Soft Robot. Adv. Mater. Technol. 2019, 4 (7), 1900185. https://doi.org/10.1002/admt.201900185

    work page doi:10.1002/admt.201900185 2019

  5. [5]

    Three-Dimensional Printing of Liquid Crys- tal Elastomers and Their Applications

    Wang, Z.; Guo, Y.; Cai, S.; Yang, J. Three-Dimensional Printing of Liquid Crys- tal Elastomers and Their Applications. ACS Appl. Polym. Mater. 2022, 4 (5), 3153–3168. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.1c01598

    work page doi:10.1021/acsapm.1c01598 2022

  6. [6]

    J.; S´ anchez-Somolinos, C

    L´ opez-Valdeolivas, M.; Liu, D.; Broer, D. J.; S´ anchez-Somolinos, C. 4D Printed Ac- tuators with Soft-Robotic Functions. Macromol. Rapid Commun. 2017, 39 (5), 1700710. https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.201700710

    work page doi:10.1002/marc.201700710 2017

  7. [7]

    Liquid Crystal Elastomer Hollow Fibers as Artificial Muscles with Large and Rapid Actuation Enabled by Thermal-Pneumatic Enhanced Effect.Adv

    Ma, J.; Wang, Y.; Sun, J.; Yang, Z. Liquid Crystal Elastomer Hollow Fibers as Artificial Muscles with Large and Rapid Actuation Enabled by Thermal-Pneumatic Enhanced Effect.Adv. Funct. Mater.2024, 34 (37), 2402403. https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202402403

    work page doi:10.1002/adfm.202402403 2024

  8. [8]

    Artificial Muscles Based on Liquid Crystal Elastomers

    Li, M.-H.; Keller, P. Artificial Muscles Based on Liquid Crystal Elastomers. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2006, 364 (1847), 2763–2777. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2006.1853

    work page arXiv 2006

Show all 48 references
  1. [9]

    Chiral Liquid Crystal Elastomers Advance Light Modulation

    Ma, J.; Yang, Z. Chiral Liquid Crystal Elastomers Advance Light Modulation. Light Sci. Appl.2024, 13 (1), 205. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-024-01549-4

    2024 doi

  2. [10]

    S.; Wang, H.; Yang, S

    Kim, S.-U.; Lee, Y.-J.; Liu, J.; Kim, D. S.; Wang, H.; Yang, S. Broadband and Pixelated Camou- flage in Inflating Chiral Nematic Liquid Crystalline Elastomers. Nat. Mater. 2021, 21 (1), 41–46. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-021-01075-3

    2021 doi

  3. [11]

    J.; Yuan, C.; Kuang, X.; Li, V

    Roach, D. J.; Yuan, C.; Kuang, X.; Li, V. C. F.; Blake, P.; Romero, M. L.; Hammel, I.; Yu, K.; Qi, H. J. Long liquid crystal elastomer fibers with large reversible actuation strains for smart textiles and artificial muscles. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2019, 11 (21), 19514-195...

    2019 doi

  4. [12]

    Silva, P. E. S.; Lin, X.; Vaara, M.; Mohan, M.; Vapaavuori, J.; Terentjev, E. M. Active Tex- tile Fabrics from Weaving Liquid Crystalline Elastomer Filaments. Adv. Mater. 2023, 31, 2210689. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202210689

    2023 doi

  5. [13]

    Liquid Crystal Elastomers—a Path to Biocompatible and Biodegradable 3D-LCE Scaffolds for Tissue Regeneration

    Pr´ evˆ ot, M.; Ustunel, S.; Hegmann, E. Liquid Crystal Elastomers—a Path to Biocompatible and Biodegradable 3D-LCE Scaffolds for Tissue Regeneration. Materials 2018, 11 (3), 377. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11030377

    2018 doi

  6. [14]

    Liquid Crystal Elastomer Metamaterials with Giant Biaxial Thermal Shrinkage for Enhancing Skin Regeneration

    Wu, J.; Yao, S.; Zhang, H.; Man, W.; Bai, Z.; Zhang, F.; Wang, X.; Fang, D.; Zhang, Y. Liquid Crystal Elastomer Metamaterials with Giant Biaxial Thermal Shrinkage for Enhancing Skin Regeneration. Adv. Mater. 2021, 33 (45), e2106175. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202106175. 10

    2021 doi

  7. [15]

    I.; Mandle, R

    Hussain, M.; Jull, E. I.; Mandle, R. J.; Raistrick, T.; Hine, P. J.; & Gleeson, H. F. Liquid crystal elastomers for biological applications. Nanomaterials 2021 11 (3), 813. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11030813

    2021 doi

  8. [16]

    UV Isomerisation in Nematic Elastomers as a Route to Photo-Mechanical Transducer

    Cviklinski, J.; Tajbakhsh, A.R.; Terentjev, E.M. UV Isomerisation in Nematic Elastomers as a Route to Photo-Mechanical Transducer. Eur. Phys. J. E 2002, 9 (S1), 427–434. https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2002-10095-y

    2002 doi

  9. [17]

    M.; Tajbakhsh, A

    Hogan, P. M.; Tajbakhsh, A. R.; Terentjev, E. M. UV Manipulation of Order and Macroscopic Shape in Nematic Elastomers. Phys. Rev. E2002, 65 (4), 041720. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreve.65.041720

    doi

  10. [18]

    Harvey, C. L. M.; Terentjev, E. M. Role of Polarization and Alignment in Photoactuation of Nematic Elastomers. Eur. Phys. J. E2007, 23 (2), 185–189. https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2007-10170-y

    doi

  11. [19]

    Opto-Mechanical Effect in Photoactive Ne- matic Side-Chain Liquid-Crystalline Elastomers

    S´ anchez-Ferrer, A.; Merekalov, A.; Finkelmann, H. Opto-Mechanical Effect in Photoactive Ne- matic Side-Chain Liquid-Crystalline Elastomers. Macromol. Rapid Commun.2011, 32 (8), 671–678. https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.201100005

    2011 doi

  12. [20]

    J.; Kuzyk, M

    Dawson, N. J.; Kuzyk, M. G.; Neal, J.; Luchette, P.; Palffy-Muhoray, P. Modeling the Mechanisms of the Photomechanical Response of a Nematic Liquid Crystal Elastomer. J. Opt. Soc. Am.2011, 28 (9), 2134–2134. https://doi.org/10.1364/josab.28.002134

    2011 doi

  13. [21]

    G.; Tobin, C.; Sandlass, S.; Park, M.; Wu, Y.; Gordon, M.; Read, J

    Campos, J. G.; Tobin, C.; Sandlass, S.; Park, M.; Wu, Y.; Gordon, M.; Read, J. Photoactivation of Millimeters Thick Liquid Crystal Elastomers with Broadband Visible Light Using Donor-Acceptor Stenhouse Adducts. Adv. Mater.2024, 36, 24044932. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202404932

    2024 doi

  14. [22]

    H.; White, T

    Ware, T. H.; White, T. J. Programmed Liquid Crystal Elastomers with Tunable Actuation Strain. Polym. Chem. 2015, 6 (26), 4835–4844. https://doi.org/10.1039/c5py00640f

    2015 doi

  15. [23]

    H.; McConney, M

    Ware, T. H.; McConney, M. E.; Wie, J. J.; Tondiglia, V. P.; White, T. J. Voxelated Liquid Crystal Elastomers. Science 2015, 347 (6225), 982–984. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1261019

    2015 doi

  16. [24]

    H.; Kyung Min Lee; Tondiglia, V

    Ahn, S.; Ware, T. H.; Kyung Min Lee; Tondiglia, V. P.; White, T. J. Photoinduced Topographical Feature Development in Blueprinted Azobenzene-Functionalized Liquid Crystalline Elastomers. Adv. Funct. Mater.2016, 26 (32), 5819–5826. https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201601090

    2016 doi

  17. [25]

    P.; Burroughs, J

    Ambulo, C. P.; Burroughs, J. J.; Boothby, J. M.; Kim, H.; Shankar, M. R.; Ware, T. H. Four- Dimensional Printing of Liquid Crystal Elastomers. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces2017, 9 (42), 37332– 37339. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.7b11851

    doi

  18. [26]

    L.; Boley, J

    Kotikian, A.; Truby, R. L.; Boley, J. W.; White, T. J.; Lewis, J. A. 3D Printing of Liquid Crystal Elastomeric Actuators with Spatially Programed Nematic Order. Adv. Mater.2018, 30 (10), 1706164. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201706164

    2018 doi

  19. [27]

    J.; S´ anchez-Somolinos, C

    Ceamanos, L.; Kahveci, Z.; L´ opez-Valdeolivas, M.; Liu, D.; Broer, D. J.; S´ anchez-Somolinos, C. Four- Dimensional Printed Liquid Crystalline Elastomer Actuators with Fast Photoinduced Mechanical Re- sponse toward Light-Driven Robotic Functions. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2...

    2020 doi

  20. [28]

    S.; Hayward, R.; Palffy-Muhoray, P.; Zheng, X

    Oh, S.-W.; Guo, T.; Kuenstler, A. S.; Hayward, R.; Palffy-Muhoray, P.; Zheng, X. Measuring the Five Elastic Constants of a Nematic Liquid Crystal Elastomer. Liq. Cryst. 2020, 48 (4), 511–520. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678292.2020.1790680

    2020

  21. [29]

    Regimes in the Response of Photomechanical Materials

    Guo, T.; Svanidze, A.; Zheng, X.; Palffy-Muhoray, P. Regimes in the Response of Photomechanical Materials. Appl. Sci. 2022, 12 (15), 7723. https://doi.org/10.3390/app12157723

    2022 doi

  22. [30]

    Photomechanical Materials, Composites, and Systems : Wireless Transduction of Light into Work ; John Wiley & Sons, Ltd: Hoboken, NJ, USA, 2017

    White, T. Photomechanical Materials, Composites, and Systems : Wireless Transduction of Light into Work ; John Wiley & Sons, Ltd: Hoboken, NJ, USA, 2017. 11

    2017

  23. [31]

    R.; Raistrick, T.; Mandle, R

    Berrow, S. R.; Raistrick, T.; Mandle, R. J.; Gleeson, H. F. Structure–Property Relationships in Aux- etic Liquid Crystal Elastomers—the Effect of Spacer Length. Polymers 2024, 16 (14), 1957–1957. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16141957

    2024 doi

  24. [32]

    M.; Saed, M.; Nair, D

    Yakacki, C. M.; Saed, M.; Nair, D. P.; Gong, T.; Reed, S. M.; Bowman, C. N. Tailorable and Pro- grammable Liquid-Crystalline Elastomers Using a Two-Stage Thiol–Acrylate Reaction.RSC Adv.2015, 5 (25), 18997–19001. https://doi.org/10.1039/c5ra01039j

    2015 doi

  25. [33]

    Non-Uniform Optical Inscription of Actuation Domains in a Liquid Crystal Polymer of Uniaxial Orientation: An Approach to Complex and Programmable Shape Changes

    Yang, R.; Zhao, Y. Non-Uniform Optical Inscription of Actuation Domains in a Liquid Crystal Polymer of Uniaxial Orientation: An Approach to Complex and Programmable Shape Changes. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2017, 56 (45), 14202–14206. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201709528

    2017 doi

  26. [34]

    (Photo)Crosslinkable Smectic LC Main-Chain Polymers

    Beyer, P.; Braun, L.; Zentel, R. (Photo)Crosslinkable Smectic LC Main-Chain Polymers. Macromol. Chem. Phys. 2007, 208 (22), 2439–2448. https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.200700292

    2007 doi

  27. [35]

    Interpenetrating Liquid-Crystal Polyurethane/Polyacrylate Elastomer with Ultrastrong Mechanical Property

    Lu, H.; Wang, M.; Chen, X.-M.; Lin, B.; Yang, H. Interpenetrating Liquid-Crystal Polyurethane/Polyacrylate Elastomer with Ultrastrong Mechanical Property. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141 (36), 14364–14369. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.9b06757

    2019 doi

  28. [36]

    Toughening Epoxy Resin Using a Liquid Crystalline Elastomer for Versatile Application

    Liu, X.-F.; Luo, X.; Liu, B.-W.; Zhong, H.-Y.; Guo, D.-M.; Yang, R.; Chen, L.; Wang, Y.-Z. Toughening Epoxy Resin Using a Liquid Crystalline Elastomer for Versatile Application. ACS Appl. Polym. Mater. 2019, 1 (9), 2291–2301. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.9b00319

    2019 doi

  29. [37]

    Warner, M.; Terentjev, E. M. Liquid Crystal Elastomers, in international series of monographs on physics 120; Clarendon Press: Oxford, UK, 2007

    2007

  30. [38]

    D.; Corbett, D.P

    Warner, M.; Modes, C. D.; Corbett, D.P. Curvature in Nematic Elastica Responding to Light and Heat. Proc. R. Soc. A: Math.2010, 466 (2122), 2975–2989. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.2010.0135

    2010

  31. [39]

    Thermal and Photo-Actuation in Nematic Elastomers

    Warner, M.; Terentjev, E. Thermal and Photo-Actuation in Nematic Elastomers. Macromol. Symp. 2003, 200 (1), 81–92. https://doi.org/10.1002/masy.200351008

    2003 doi

  32. [40]

    Mechanical and Optical Bending of Nematic Elastomer Cantilevers

    Warner, M. Mechanical and Optical Bending of Nematic Elastomer Cantilevers. Phys. Rev. E 2012, 86 (2), 022701. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreve.86.022701

    2012 doi

  33. [41]

    Photoinduced Deformations of Beams, Plates, and Films

    Warner, M.; Mahadevan, L. Photoinduced Deformations of Beams, Plates, and Films. Phys. Rev. Lett. 2004, 92 (13), 134302. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.92.134302

    2004 doi

  34. [42]

    Nonlinear Photoresponse of Disordered Elastomers

    Corbett, D.; Warner, M. Nonlinear Photoresponse of Disordered Elastomers. Phys. Rev. Lett.2006, 96 (23). https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.96.237802

    2006 doi

  35. [43]

    Changing Liquid Crystal Elastomer Ordering with Light – a Route to Opto-Mechanically Responsive Materials

    Corbett, D.; Warner, M. Changing Liquid Crystal Elastomer Ordering with Light – a Route to Opto-Mechanically Responsive Materials. Liq. Cryst. 2009, 36 (10-11), 1263–1280. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678290903062994

    2009 doi

  36. [44]

    E.; Rothemund, P.; Keplinger, C.; White, T

    Fowler, H. E.; Rothemund, P.; Keplinger, C.; White, T. J. Liquid Crystal Elastomers with Enhanced Directional Actuation to Electric Fields. Adv. Mater. 2021, 33 (43), 2103806. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202103806

    2021 doi

  37. [45]

    Deformation Coupled to Director Rotation in Swollen Nematic Elastomers under Electric Fields

    Urayama, K.; Honda, S.; Takigawa, T. Deformation Coupled to Director Rotation in Swollen Nematic Elastomers under Electric Fields. Macromolecules 2006, 39 (5), 1943–1949. https://doi.org/10.1021/ma052762q

    2006 doi

  38. [46]

    Rapid and Spatially Pro- grammed Electrostatic Actuation of Anisotropic Polymers

    Choi, M.-Y.; Kim, K.; Kim, K.; Ahn, S.; Na, J.-H. Rapid and Spatially Pro- grammed Electrostatic Actuation of Anisotropic Polymers. Chem. Eng. J. 2023, 475, 146237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2023.146237

    2023

  39. [47]

    Winkler, M.; Kaiser, A.; Krause, S.; Heino Finkelmann; Schmidt, A. M. Liquid Crys- tal Elastomers with Magnetic Actuation. Macromol. Symp. 2010, 291-292 (1), 186–192. https://doi.org/10.1002/masy.201050522. 12

    2010 doi

  40. [48]

    M.; Kim, H.; Ware, T

    Boothby, J. M.; Kim, H.; Ware, T. H. Shape Changes in Chemoresponsive Liquid Crystal Elastomers. Sens. Actuators B: Chem.2017, 24 0, 511–518. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2016.09.004. 13

    2017 doi

Pith tools

Reviewed August 11, 2026 · model on record in the stance chip above.