Training and re-training liquid crystal elastomer metamaterials for pluripotent functionality
Training has emerged as a promising materials design technique in which function can be achieved through repeated physical modification of an existing material rather than by direct chemical functionalization, cutting or reprocessing.
A collaboration between the research groups of Sidney Nagel and Stuart Rowan investigated the ability to train for function and then to erase that function on-demand in macroscopic metamaterials made from liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs).
To demonstrate pluripotent functionality they first showed that the Poisson’s ratio of these disordered arrays can be tuned via directed aging to induce an auxetic response. They then showed that the arrays can be re-set and re-trained for another local mechanical function, allostery.
These experiments demonstrate that directed aging in combinations with LCEs can be used to train in various types of mechanical metamaterial functions. Addition- ally, training with the LCE arrays introduces the benefit of “forgetful” materials leading to pluripotency through the reset mechanism and re-trainability demonstrated in this work.
Gowen, S. D.; Ghimire, E.; Lindberg, C. A.; Appen, I. S.; Rowan, S. J.; Nagel, S. R. Training and Re-Training Liquid Crystal Elastomer Metamaterials for Pluripotent Functionality. 2025.
https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2502.17238