I’m excited to update that since last blog post I’ve had two publications accepted and published: one a co-authorship with members of my previous research group, and another a publication I led.

The first is “Multifunctional liquid crystal polymer network soft actuators” (Link), an impressive work led by Dr. Li Yu and Dr. Ran Peng. In this work we demonstrated the fabrication, programming, and function of actuators composed of liquid crystal polymers and liquid metals. These materials had been tuned to acheive strong mutual attraction, keeping the liquid metal confined within the liquid crystal encapsulation. The result was a thermally-driven actuator with stable electrical conductivity throughout its actuation range.

The second work published is “Cellulose Nanocrystal and Silver Nanobelt Gel: Cooperative Interactions Enabling Dispersion, Colloidal Gels, and Flexible Electronics“ (Link), led by myself and co-authored by Dr. Li Yu. In this work we investigated the formulation of a colloidal gel of silver nanobelts and cellulose nanocrystals. The carboxylic acid groups on the silver nanobelts and the hydroxyl groups on the cellulose nanocrystals formed a dynamic bonding structure that led to a shear-thinning gel, allowing proof of concept of a flexible conductor.

Thank you to Dr. Li Yu for collaborating with me for both these studies, it was a tremendous priviledge to work with him, and I look forward to our next opportunity.