5th International Liquid Crystal Elastomer Conference; Kent State University; Kent, OH; September 24-26,2009

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TECHNICAL SUMMARY:Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are emerging soft materials of great scientific and technological importance. Much of the development of these materials and all previous conferences on this topic have taken place in Europe. The proposed 5th International Liquid Crystal Conference (5th ILCEC) will be the first US Conference on this subject. Its aim is to provide young US researchers with the opportunity to learn about this exciting and promising field and to become involved in LCE research. Liquid crystal elastomers are solid liquid crystals; they are cross-linked rubber networks with orientational order. Their salient feature is the coupling between orientational order and mechanical strain. This coupling provides a new way of changing orientational order and hence modifying the optical and physical properties of samples by mechanical strain. Conversely, changing the orientational order via fields or temperature gives rise to mechanical strain and changes in sample shape. The former allows mechanically tunable devices, such as rubber lasers, while the latter allows the construction of driven actuators driven by light or vapors and of light driven motors. Unique aspects of these materials present formidable scientific challenges. Due to coupling of strain and orientational order, strain without stress, or ?soft elasticity?, associated with reorientation of the mesogenic constituents of LCEs has been predicted. Theoretical obstacles to soft elasticity have also been identified. A rich variety of experimental observations have been made, but their interpretation is still a topic of debate, and the question of soft elasticity remains open. NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:The proposed 5th International Liquid Crystal Conference (5th ILCEC) will bring together researchers from different disciplines and different parts of the world who have made important original contributions, and will facilitate informal and in-depth discussion of the outstanding issues of science and technology and future research directions in liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs). The interactions and collaborations resulting from this Conference are expected to lead to rapid scientific advances and to opening doors to new discoveries. The proposed Conference will also have a broader impact via: (i) extensive dissemination of scientific results; (ii) the development of new sensor, actuator and smart materials technologies; and (iii) significant impact on the fields of adaptive/tunable optics and photonics. One speaker will present a public lecture: Professor and Eminent Ohio Scientist Jonathan Selinger will speak on: ?Liquid Crystals and Rubber: Combining Scientific Fields for New Technologies?. Research on cutting edge topics will encourage and facilitate workforce training in physics, chemistry, and applications of new elastomeric LC materials. This proposal seeks funding to hold the first US Conference on recent developments in the field of Liquid Crystal Elastomers and identifying future research directions. The requested NSF funds will be used to support participation of students and junior scientists and members of underrepresented groups.