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

Authors

Niccolò Braidi, Michele Zanoni, Marco Turriani, Ruggero Rossi, Carla Triunfo, Daniele Martella, Stefano Masiero, Camilla Parmeggiani, Chiara Gualandi

Published in

ACS applied materials & interfaces. Jul 05, 2026. Epub Jul 05, 2026.

Abstract

Actuators based on liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) can realize reversible and complex shape changes exploitable in soft robotics, actuators, surface haptics, photocontrolled microfluidic, and artificial muscles. A key prerequisite for the actuation of LCEs lies in predetermined alignment of mesogenic units. Here, we describe a single-step fabrication process for manufacturing LCE actuators using electrospinning coupled with simultaneous photo-cross-linking. Branched oligomers were designed and synthesized to address the trade-off between electrospinnability and cross-linking density. Moreover, optimizing the photoinitiator system and electrospinning setup allowed us to achieve long-range alignment of liquid crystalline domains. These fibrous materials display impressive stress-free thermal actuation without the need for external loads, reaching reversible deformations of over 30%. Additionally, we explored photoresponsive behavior by integrating photothermal dyes, enabling movement triggered by either UV or blue light. These results provide a scalable framework for developing smart materials suitable for applications in soft robotics and artificial muscles.

PMID:
42402025
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 05 Jul 2026.

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