What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to develop electrospun liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) that can act as efficient stress-free actuators with thermal and photoresponsive capabilities.

July 7, 2026ACS Applied Materials & InterfacesOpen Access

Electrospun Liquid Crystal Elastomers as Stress-Free Thermo- and Photoresponsive Actuators

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Authors

NBNiccolò BraidiUniversity of Modena and Reggio Emilia MZMichele ZanoniUniversity of Bologna MTMarco TurrianiNello Carrara Institute of Applied Physics

Discussion

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Implication

Randomized trial demonstrates stress-free actuation in actuators, highlighting potential in soft robotics and artificial muscles.

Key Points

This research aims to develop electrospun liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) that can act as efficient stress-free actuators with thermal and photoresponsive capabilities.
Fabrication of LCE actuators through electrospinning and simultaneous photo-cross-linking.
Design and synthesis of branched oligomers to balance electrospinnability and cross-linking density.
Optimization of photoinitiator system and electrospinning setup for long-range alignment of liquid crystalline domains.
Achieved stress-free thermal actuation with over 30% reversible deformation.
Demonstrated photoresponsive behavior with movement triggered by UV or blue light.
Provided a scalable method for producing smart materials for soft robotics and artificial muscle applications.

Cite This Study

Braidi et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a4c96be331bc25c9e5f4125 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.6c09275

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July 7, 2026ACS Applied Materials & InterfacesOpen Access

Electrospun Liquid Crystal Elastomers as Stress-Free Thermo- and Photoresponsive Actuators

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Authors

NBNiccolò BraidiUniversity of Modena and Reggio Emilia MZMichele ZanoniUniversity of Bologna MTMarco TurrianiNello Carrara Institute of Applied Physics

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Randomized trial demonstrates stress-free actuation in actuators, highlighting potential in soft robotics and artificial muscles.

Key Points

This research aims to develop electrospun liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) that can act as efficient stress-free actuators with thermal and photoresponsive capabilities.
Fabrication of LCE actuators through electrospinning and simultaneous photo-cross-linking.
Design and synthesis of branched oligomers to balance electrospinnability and cross-linking density.
Optimization of photoinitiator system and electrospinning setup for long-range alignment of liquid crystalline domains.
Achieved stress-free thermal actuation with over 30% reversible deformation.
Demonstrated photoresponsive behavior with movement triggered by UV or blue light.
Provided a scalable method for producing smart materials for soft robotics and artificial muscle applications.

Cite This Study

Braidi et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a4c96be331bc25c9e5f4125 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.6c09275

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