Liquid Crystal Elastomers: 30 Years After

This is a review article that attempts to cast a look at the whole history of liquid crystal elastomers, and the evolution of this field from its inception to the current state of the art. The exposition is limited by omitting several important elements of this field, such as densely crosslinked networks and smectic elastomers, focusing solely on the nematic phase of these elastomers. In this topic, we first discuss the current development and perspectives in the materials chemistry. This is followed by three sections, each dedicated to one of the three main points of interest in the whole field: the reversible actuation, the soft elasticity, and the viscoelastic dynamics of nematic elastomers. In each of these directions, there are significant developments over the recent years, but equally significant new avenues for the research to follow.