Electrical Deformation of Thermotropic Liquid-Crystalline Polymer Gels

Abstract

Abstract Liquid-crystalline elastomer carrying cyanobiphenyl side groups was synthesized by radical copolymerization of 6-(4′-cyanobiphenyl-4-yloxy)hexyl acrylate and hexamethylene diacrylate. Liquid-crystalline elastomer was swollen in a low molecular weight liqud crystal. Swollen elastomer in the nematic phase quickly deformed by application of DC voltage.