Choi, Jin-Soo Jeon, Seung-Yeol Yu, Woong-Ryeol 2025-09-22T04:30:15Z 2025-09-22T04:30:15Z 2025-09-16 2025-09 0014-3057 https://pubs.kist.re.kr/handle/201004/153210 Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), soft elastic networks with liquid crystal molecules, exhibit notable energydissipating and shape memory properties. This study explored how removed solvent in post-polymerization influences the structural and actuation characteristic of LCEs. By systematically varying solvent content during synthesis and evaluating post-polymerization effects, we discovered that solvent levels critically modulate actuation strain and stress through mesogen mobility and cross-linking density. Higher solvent content increased actuation strain up to 38.6 %, maintaining actuation stress of 0.11 MPa, but diminished it at excessive levels due to reduced mesogen concentration. Structural analyses via polarized optical microscopy, positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy, and WAXS underscored the formation of expanded mesogen domains and changes in mesogen rotation behavior. These insights offer a pathway for customizing the performance of LCEs, enabling more precise and adaptable soft actuators in next-generation technologies. English Pergamon Press Ltd. Improved actuation of liquid crystal elastomers via solvent engineering Article 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114254 1 European Polymer Journal, v.238 European Polymer Journal 238 N scie scopus 001566346500001 2-s2.0-105014911824 Polymer Science Polymer Science Article SHAPE-MEMORY ARTIFICIAL MUSCLES SOFT TRANSITIONS BEHAVIOR Programmable actuator Solvent engineering Wide-angle X-ray scattering Liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) Soft matter