| Abstract
| - Well-defined liquid crystal networks with controlled molecular weight between cross-links andcross-link functionality were prepared by “click” cross-linking of telechelic polymers produced by ring-openingmetathesis polymerization (ROMP). The networks readily swell in a small molecule liquid crystal, 5CB, toform LC gels with high swelling ratios. These gels exhibit fast, reversible, and low-threshold optic switchingunder applied electric fields when they are unconstrained between electrodes. For a given electric field,the LC gels prepared from shorter telechelic polymers showed a reduced degree of switching than theircounterparts made from longer polymer strands. The reported approach provides control over importantparameters for LC networks, such as the length of the network strands between cross-links, cross-linkerfunctionality, and mesogen density. Therefore, it allows a detailed study of relationships between molecularstructure and macroscopic properties of these scientifically and technologically interesting networks.
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