The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

Exchangeable liquid crystal elastomers (xLCEs) incorporating dynamic covalent bonds offer significant advantages including reprocessing and reprogramming. However, conventional reprocessing for xLCEs are largely limited to hot pressing, which requires long processing times and restricts shape formation to simple 2D films. In this work, we synthesize a series of xLCEs that can undergo rapid bond exchange, thereby enhancing thermal processability. By systematically tailoring the network structure of xLCEs, we achieve a broad range of mechanical and rheological properties. Importantly, the optimized xLCEs exhibit liquid-like behavior at elevated temperatures, enabling versatile melt-processing into 1D fibers, 2D films, and complex 3D shapes. Our approach addresses key limitations of conventional xLCE processing and opens new opportunities for applications in soft actuators, active textiles, and reconfigurable surfaces.