Researchers formulate a stretchy polymer that can be programmed to remember complex shapes.↓↓

Liquid-crystal elastomers—which contain heat-responsive liquid-crystal molecules embedded in a stretchy polymer—could one day be used to make soft robots and biomedical devices. Typically, researchers program particular shapes into this type of material by controlling the liquid crystals’ orientation; when cool, the liquid crystals hold the material in a desired shape, and when heated, the material relaxes. To do this, they perform complicated calculations to determine what crystal orientation would produce a specific shape. Now, Rice University researchers have instead harnessed an existing two-step polymerization reaction to program complex, reversible shapes into the material. The process requires no calculations, only molding and curing the material (Soft Matter 2018, DOI: 10.1039/c8sm02174k). The team optimized the composition of the reagents to produce a material that can form flowers, letters, and even a face, then flatten when heated.

Read more:

Direct shape programming of liquid crystal elastomers | Soft Matter
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Harnessing the power of shape-shifting polymers | C&EN
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‘Venus flytrap’ soft robot gets a grip | C&EN
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Pop-up liquid crystals | C&EN
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Music: “Lobby Time” by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under CC BY 3.0

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