Abstract
This paper presents the novel results on low voltage-driven electromechanical effects of swollen liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs). Thin film LCEs were embedded in a low molecular weight liquid crystal (LMWLC), 4-n-pentyl-4-cyanobiphenyl (5CB), and introduced between transparent indium tin oxide electrodes with 100 m separation. Absorbing 5CB into LCEs, shapes changes were obtained in these materials by application of a small voltage. That is, compared to unswollen LCEs, a dramatic ~200 times decrease of the critical voltages was found for electromechanical effect in swollen LCEs.
