Liquid Crystal Elastomers for Frameless and Directional Dielectric Elastomer Actuators

Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) efficiently convert electrical input into mechanical work, but they often require rigid frames to provide anisotropy and mechanical constraint. These frames add bulk and stiffness, limiting integration into soft robotics and artificial muscle systems.

Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) intrinsically encode mechanical anisotropy through molecular alignment, enabling freestanding films that deform along prescribed directions without external framing. Incorporating polar mesogenic units further increases the dielectric constant of LCEs, enhancing Maxwell stress and actuation efficiency at reduced operating fields.

Here, we examine how viscous processes unique to liquid crystalline phases influence actuation speed and efficiency in LCE-based DEAs. Through molecular design, we demonstrate strategies to mitigate or exploit these dissipative mechanisms to achieve high-strain, directional, frameless actuation. This work highlights the potential of LCEs as a materials platform for soft, programmable, and electronically controlled actuators.