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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Towards micrometer sized core-shell actuators from liquid crystalline elastomers by a continuous flow synthesis

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description

We present here the successful preparation of liquid crystalline core-shell elastomers via a microfluidic double-emulsion process. The customized set-up allows for a temperature-controlled fabrication of the core-shell particles from a thermoresponsive mesogenic monomer. The nematic liquid crystalline shell is filled with a non-mesogenic core of silicone oil. To verify the core-shell structure with optical microscopy, we prepared particles with a colored core using a red dye. We were also able to micro-manipulate the particles and penetrate them with a small glass capillary to extract the liquid core.