Soft materials for linear electromechanical energy conversion

We briefly review the literature of linear electromechanical effects of soft materials, especially in synthetic and biological polymers and liquid crystals (LCs). First we describe results on direct and converse piezoelectricity, and then we discuss a linear coupling between bending and electric polarization, which maybe called bending piezoelectricity, or flexoelectricity.

► We review piezoelectricity of soft materials.
► Discuss physical mechanisms of linear electromechanical effects in liquid crystals.
► We review flexoelectricity of soft materials.
► Physical mechanisms of flexoelectricity in liquid crystals are highlighted.