Muscle‐Inspired Learnable Liquid Crystal Elastomer Enabled by Dynamic Reaction and Mesogenic Re‐Orientation

ABSTRACT The learning capability of skeletal muscle enables adaptive enhancement in response to different stimuli, making it a promising concept in soft matter. The key point is how to construct multiscale muscle‐like structures and acquire “learning” capability, but these two functions have not yet been acquired in one material. Here, we combine dynamic exchange with mesogenic self‐assembly to construct an elastomer exhibiting apparent local mechanical contrast and a persistent training‐history‐dependent mechanical response. The mesogens serve as responsive structural units that retain aspects of the training history through local topological remodeling of the network. Compared to the significant strength gains (∼17.4%) achieved through resistance training over 12–15 weeks in human muscle tissue, the ultimate strength of the elastomer increased from 4.5 to 7.2 MPa (∼53.5%) after 100 training cycles, with an energy dissipation efficiency decrease of only 0.4%. The material's versatility as a serviceable and reprogrammable component was also demonstrated. This work establishes a paradigm for sustainable, reprogrammable soft materials that not only evolve with use but also offer a closed‐loop lifecycle for next‐generation adaptive devices.

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Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Functional Materials
Published
2026-09-04
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.78254
Primary Topic
Advanced Materials and Mechanics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Muscle‐Inspired Learnable Liquid Crystal Elastomer Enabled by Dynamic Reaction and Mesogenic Re‐Orientation

Haifeng Yu, Tianfu Song, Zekai LI, Ying Sun
Advanced Functional Materials
Advanced Materials and Mechanics
article

Muscle‐Inspired Learnable Liquid Crystal Elastomer Enabled by Dynamic Reaction and Mesogenic Re‐Orientation

Haifeng Yu, Tianfu Song, Zekai LI, Ying Sun
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT The learning capability of skeletal muscle enables adaptive enhancement in response to different stimuli, making it a promising concept in soft matter. The key point is how to construct multiscale muscle‐like structures and acquire “learning” capability, but these two functions have not yet been acquired in one material. Here, we combine dynamic exchange with mesogenic self‐assembly to construct an elastomer exhibiting apparent local mechanical contrast and a persistent training‐history‐dependent mechanical response. The mesogens serve as responsive structural units that retain aspects of the training history through local topological remodeling of the network. Compared to the significant strength gains (∼17.4%) achieved through resistance training over 12–15 weeks in human muscle tissue, the ultimate strength of the elastomer increased from 4.5 to 7.2 MPa (∼53.5%) after 100 training cycles, with an energy dissipation efficiency decrease of only 0.4%. The material's versatility as a serviceable and reprogrammable component was also demonstrated. This work establishes a paradigm for sustainable, reprogrammable soft materials that not only evolve with use but also offer a closed‐loop lifecycle for next‐generation adaptive devices.

Advanced Functional Materials
Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China (CN), Ministry of Education (RO)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation
Openalex Percentile: Top 20%
Advanced Materials and Mechanics
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Muscle‐Inspired Learnable Liquid Crystal Elastomer Enabled by Dynamic Reaction and Mesogenic Re‐Orientation — Haifeng Yu, Tianfu Song, et al. · Advanced Functional Materials (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS