United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

Nicholas P Godman

Timothy J White

Hilmar Koerner

Tyler C Guin

Benjamin A Kowalski

Anesia D Auguste

Shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomers. The shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomers being synthesized by filling an alignment cell with liquid crystal monomers. The liquid crystal monomers align to a surface of the alignment cell and then are polymerized with a dithiol chain transfer agent. The alignment cell is configured to impose a director orientation on a portion of the shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer. For some embodiments, liquid crystal elastomer laminates are prepared by arranging a plurality of liquid crystal elastomers such that a director orientation of each liquid crystal elastomer of the plurality is in registered alignment with an adjacent liquid crystal elastomer of the plurality. The arrangement is secured and the plurality of liquid crystal elastomers cured.

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Kettering, OH, United States of America

Nicholas P Godman