Actuation of Gold-Coated Liquid Crystal Elastomers

Abstract

We demonstrate that gold layers are a promising candidate for resistive heating actuation of liquid crystalline elastomers at moderate strains of around 10% and with good repeatability up to a few 10 kilocycles. These composites are easy to manufacture and have suitable resistivity to be actuated with low-voltage power supplies. The mechanical and electrical properties of such materials are investigated and the observed resistance changes are explained in terms of a percolation model.