Speaker: Mohand Saed
Time: 14:00-16:00, 18th June 2025
Location/Room: Engineering Central, Bay Campus, B003
Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) are a versatile class of functional materials exhibiting
exceptional properties, including large-stroke reversible actuation, anomalous mechanical
and vibration energy damping, and reversible pressure-sensitive adhesion. A defining feature
of LCEs is their soft elasticity, characterised by a plateau of low, nearly constant stress during stretching, slow stress relaxation, and enhanced surface adhesion. This presentation examines the potential of LCEs in actuator applications, highlighting their intrinsic energy dissipation mechanisms, particularly in reversible adhesion.
For more info contact: Dr Mokarram Hossain (mokarram.hossain@swansea.ac.uk)
Speaker Summary:
Dr. Saed is a University Royal Society Fellow and a group leader at the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, specialising in smart, sustainable, and stimuli-responsive polymers. His research spans new material design, additive manufacturing, vitrimers, adhesives, and liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs). Over a decade-long academic career, Dr. Saed has made pioneering contributions to polymer science. During his PhD at the University of Colorado, he played a crucial role in overcoming synthesis challenges in LCEs, introducing click chemistry for scalable production. His dissertation led to seven publications and a US patent, revolutionising the field. As a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Texas, he expanded into 3D printing and microfabrication, developing a 4D printing technique for LCEs, now widely adopted. This work resulted in three papers and another US patent. At Cambridge, Dr. Saed has published over 30 original papers, filed four patents, and secured over £2 million in research funding. He co-founded Cambridge Smart Plastics Ltd, serving as Chief Technical Officer, to commercialise vitrimer technologies developed during his tenure. As of May 2025, he has 45 original papers, 6 patents (3 granted, 3 filed), 3,200 cita7ons, and an H-index of 27. His research is featured in leading journals such as Chemical Reviews, Nature Communications, and Advanced Materials.