| Abstract
| - The hydrogel of poly(11-(4‘-cyanobiphenyloxy)undecyl acrylate-co-acrylic acid), poly(11CBA-co-AA), which was comprised of the hydrophobic cross-linking junction zone with the liquid crystallinenature and the hydrated amorphous domain, showed a smectic mesophase transition at 40 °C in thebody temperature range. X-ray diffraction study suggests the water transfer from the main chain domainof the liquid crystalline junction zone to the amorphous domain through the smectic transition. Theoriented hydrogel fiber showed a drastic shrinkage through this transition, keeping the orientation.Moreover, the mesomorphic behavior of LCG depended on the aqueous milieu. Thus, the present LCGphysically cross-linked by the mesomorphic junction could be considered to be an open system of newactuators controllable in the change in the aqueous milieu at ambient conditions.
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