Healable and Rearrangeable Networks of Liquid Crystal Elastomers Enabled by Diselenide Bonds
Ling Chen, Hari Krishna Bisoyi, Yinliang Huang, Shuai Huang, Meng Wang, Hong Yang, Quan Li
Abstract
Based on liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) materials, hierarchically structured soft actuators can meet some requirements for "human-friendly" working mode and execute complex tasks with intelligent adaptation to environmental changes. However, few researchers have paid much attention to the preparation methods of multicomponent/hierarchical LCE actuators. In this communication, we demonstrate the successful integration of an exchangeable diselenide chain extender for the preparation of dynamic LCEs, which could be reprogrammed on heating or under visible light illumination. Moreover, the rearrangeable polydiselenide networks could be applied to develop the self-welding technology toward fabricating hierarchically structured LCE actuators with sophisticated deformability without using any auxiliary reagent (adhesive, tape, catalysts or initiator) during the assembling process.