Continuous fabrication of Janus liquid crystal elastomer fibers with programmable actuation

Smart fibers, particularly liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) fibers, are pivotal in soft robotics and adaptive textiles. However, existing fabrication methods are limited to simple monolithic structures, hindering the realization of complex actuation behaviors. To overcome this limitation, we develop a continuous extrusion platform for producing Janus LCE fibers that emulate asymmetric biological structures, such as plant tendrils, thereby enabling sophisticated actuation. This approach seamlessly integrates an LCE network with a dynamic covalent polymer network, allowing programmable on-demand liquid crystal orientation for actuation via dynamic bond exchange. The resulting Janus fibers exhibit enhanced mechanical properties and multifunctional capabilities, including adaptive object manipulation, stimuli-responsive directional motion, and scalable integration into smart fabrics for thermal management. By unifying material intelligence with structural programmability, this work advances the development of bioinspired soft robotic systems with enhanced environmental adaptability. ‘Liquid crystal elastomers are of interest for soft robotics and smart textiles, though existing fabrication methods limit complex actuation. Here the authors report an extrusion method to program a dynamic covalent network for complex actuation.’