Liquid Crystalline Elastomers as Renewable Functional Materials: From Chemistry to Application
type: CreativeWork
description: Liquid Crystalline Elastomers (LCEs) are thermosets that belong to the family of “smart plastics”. They combine the softness and elasticity of elastomers, with the orientational order properties of liquid crystals (LCs), resulting in the ability for these materials to undergo large reversible deformation when subjected to external stimuli. This unique ability to actuate and perform work without mechanical parts has positioned LCEs as attractive materials for applications in fields such as soft robotics, sensors, surface coatings, and tissue engineering. The mechanical performance of LCEs and their capacity for large-amplitude, reversible actuation depend on the underlying chemistry and the alignment of the LC components in the network. However, achieving specific, complex, macroscopic-scale 3D structures with a predetermined actuation behaviour remains a challenge with conventional alignment techniques. The introduction of dynamic covalent chemistry into the networks of LCEs (to form xLCEs) was a significant breakthrough in the field, promising enhanced material processing and sample alignment. However, at the outset of this PhD, the understanding and control over the exchange dynamics of xLCEs was still lacking, stemming in part from a need for a broader library of materials with a greater variety of dynamic properties. Additionally, the field suffered from a lack of LCE applications geared towards addressing real-world problems. This thesis hence aims to contribute to the advancement of the field of LCEs in three key areas: (1) investigating the mechanics of xLCEs to establish fundamental principles, (2) exploring novel network chemistries, and (3) applying the knowledge gained to develop new and practical applications. First, I build on existing bond-exchange reactions to establish wider knowledge about factors controlling the material flow on a macroscopic scale in dynamic covalent polymer systems (vitrimers). I notably demonstrate that the bond exchange reactio…
abstract: Liquid Crystalline Elastomers (LCEs) are thermosets that belong to the family of “smart plastics”. They combine the softness and elasticity of elastomers, with the orientational order properties of liquid crystals (LCs), resulting in the ability for these materials to undergo large reversible deformation when subjected to external stimuli. This unique ability to actuate and perform work without mechanical parts has positioned LCEs as attractive materials for applications in fields such as soft robotics, sensors, surface coatings, and tissue engineering. The mechanical performance of LCEs and their capacity for large-amplitude, reversible actuation depend on the underlying chemistry and the alignment of the LC components in the network. However, achieving specific, complex, macroscopic-scale 3D structures with a predetermined actuation behaviour remains a challenge with conventional alignment techniques. The introduction of dynamic covalent chemistry into the networks of LCEs (to form xLCEs) was a significant breakthrough in the field, promising enhanced material processing and sample alignment. However, at the outset of this PhD, the understanding and control over the exchange dynamics of xLCEs was still lacking, stemming in part from a need for a broader library of materials with a greater variety of dynamic properties. Additionally, the field suffered from a lack of LCE applications geared towards addressing real-world problems. This thesis hence aims to contribute to the advancement of the field of LCEs in three key areas: (1) investigating the mechanics of xLCEs to establish fundamental principles, (2) exploring novel network chemistries, and (3) applying the knowledge gained to develop new and practical applications. First, I build on existing bond-exchange reactions to establish wider knowledge about factors controlling the material flow on a macroscopic scale in dynamic covalent polymer systems (vitrimers). I notably demonstrate that the bond exchange reactio…
author: Gablier, Alexandra
language: eng
keywords: Braille, Dynamic Covalent Chemistry, Liquid Crystalline Elastomers, Polymers, Vitrimers
license: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/94648328-6209-4767-b16c-3249175b1aaf/download
license: https://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved/
date published: 2023-12-01
date modified: 2026-07-24T01:33:13Z
provider: Cambridge University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Cambridge

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.17863/CAM.106874