Modern Problems of Materials Science

UV-Curable Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystal Elastomers

Yuliia Shyshkina1, Andraž Rešetič2

1. Frantsevich Institute for Problems of Materials Science of NAS of Ukraine
2. Institute “Jožef Stefan”, Slovenia

https://doi.org/10.15407/msse2025.01.093

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Keywords

Liquid crystal elastomer microparticles, UV curing, 3D printing

Abstract

Polymer-dispersed liquid crystalline elastomers (PDLCEs) represent an emerging class of soft composites, obtained by incorporating liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) microparticles into termo- or UV-curable polymer matrix. For 3D printing applications, UV-induced polymerization offers a distinct advantage due to its rapid curing kinetics and the absence of thermal exposure, thereby preserving the structural and functional stability of LCE microparticles.

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