Multifunctional Ionene Liquid Crystal Elastomers.

ABSTRACT: Incorporating ionic species into the backbone of liquid crystalline elastomers offers a template for tailoring thermomechanical and electromechanical properties. Thermotropic ionene liquid crystalline elastomers (iLCEs) containing imidazolium-based cationic groups are capable of work-dense (∼14 J/kg), large-strain (>30%) actuation at modest temperatures (∼40 °C). Furthermore, the constitutive behavior of iLCE is modulated by ionic liquid (IL) dopants, which magnify the large strain deformability (>600%), modulate pressure-sensitive adhesion, and enable strain sensing over ∼100% strain at a constant stress defined by its soft elastic plateau. The nascent electronic conductivity of iLCE is sensitive to temperature, which unlocks a route for sustaining actuation cycles by gating the actinic s

SUBMITTER: Kuzel Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12314865 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature