Luminescent Liquid Crystal Elastomers: From Fabrication Toward Multifunctional Applications

Abstract

Abstract Luminescent liquid crystal elastomers (LLCEs) are emerging functional soft materials that integrate luminescent properties, liquid crystal anisotropy, and the mechanical flexibility of elastomers, which have aroused growing interest in the interdisciplinary fields such as chemistry, physics, materials science, and bionic intelligent devices. This review provides a systematic overview of recent advances in LLCEs, beginning with a detailed discussion of their luminescence mechanisms, including fluorescence and phosphorescence. It then categorizes preparation strategies based on various luminescent sources, such as organic dyes, quantum dots, lanthanide complexes, and nonconventional luminophores. Additionally, diverse utilizations of these stimuli‐responsive luminescent materials, including artificial muscles, soft robots, optical devices, along with information storage and encryption are introduced. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives of this field are examined. This review is anticipated to both heighten interest in LLCEs and provide a valuable roadmap for future research on these multifunctional soft materials.