Liquid crystal elastomer-nanoparticle systems for actuation

Liquid crystal elastomers (LCE) are currently of great interest due to conjoining of mesogenic ordering and rubber elasticity, exhibited in their large spontaneous thermally stimulated changes in shape. It has been shown that nanoparticles (nanotubes, photo-isomerisable dyes, magnetic nanoparticles.) can be incorporated into these LCE networks to create a more sensitive network to external stimuli (i.e. strain or stress, optical, electrical, electro-thermal, magnetic.). Here, we briefly summarise the current state of LCE-nanoparticle systems and explain in detail one system utilising carbon nanoparticles integrated at surfaces that may be used for electro-thermal heating of LCE systems.