Flexible polymer network with liquid crystal ordering
Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are shape-responsive materials that can react to stimuli in the environment. These materials are biocompatible and can be used as scaffolds for tissue engineering that can actively direct cellular growth and differentiation. LCEs also exhibit interesting structural properties and have been shown to increase in stiffness when subjected to compression. They can thus be employed as structural materials that withstand repeated compression or record a history of compression and tension in a product-testing scenario.
Contact: Rice University Verduzco Laboratory, Houston, TX, USA.
For more information, see Transmaterial Next: A Catalog of Materials that Redefine Our Future
