Actuators: 3D Printing of Liquid Crystal Elastomeric Actuators with Spatially Programed Nematic Order (Adv. Mater. 10/2018)

In article number 1706164, Jennifer Lewis and co-workers fabricate 3D liquid-crystal elastomer actuators with programmed director alignment. Complex architectures (such as this spiral motif imaged between crossed polarizers) are 3D printed, which are capable of lifting large weights and reversibly transforming their shape upon thermal cycling.

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