Figure 3.

(a) Actuation of a single LCE particle before (30 °C, undercooled nematic state) and after (250 °C, isotropic state) the thermal-initiated phase transition. The aspect ratio of the particle is almost doubled during the actuation process; (b) Aspect ratio of the particle at 10 sequent actuation cycles, which demonstrates the overall reversibility of the LCE’s shape change; (c) Schematic drawing of the supposed concentric director field within the particle. The director is aligned parallel to the black lines (scale bar: 100 µm).