Département de chimie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, J1K 2R1, Canada.
Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.
Macromol Rapid Commun. 2021 Dec;42(23):e2100495. doi: 10.1002/marc.202100495. Epub 2021 Oct 19.
Liquid crystalline hydrogel (LCH) is synthesized through simultaneous polymerization of hydrophobic and hydrophilic monomers in an oil-in-water emulsion, resulting in phase-separated liquid crystalline network (LCN) embedded in a hydrogel matrix. This material features some properties and functions of both LCN and hydrogel, displaying stable LC phase over repeated hydration and dehydration cycles of the hydrogel matrix. Using mechanically stretched and photocrosslinked LCH, the thermally induced LC-isotropic phase transition in LCN domains can be translated into reversible macroscopic deformation of the LCH. Moreover, the LCH exhibits water absorption-controlled shape memory effect.
液晶水凝胶（LCH）是通过在油包水乳液中同时聚合疏水性和亲水性单体合成的，导致相分离的液晶网络（LCN）嵌入水凝胶基质中。这种材料具有 LCN 和水凝胶的一些特性和功能，在水凝胶基质的反复水合和脱水循环中显示出稳定的 LC 相。使用机械拉伸和光交联的 LCH，可以将 LCN 域中热诱导的 LC-各向同性相转变转化为 LCH 的可逆宏观变形。此外，LCH 表现出具有水吸收控制的形状记忆效应。
