  The mechanical properties of liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) make them
suitable candidates for pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs). Using the nematic
dumbbell constitutive model, and the block model of PSAs, we study their tack
energy and the debonding process as could be measured experimentally in the
probe-tack test. To investigate their performance as switchable PSAs we compare
the tack energy for the director aligned parallel, and perpendicular to the
substrate normal, and for the isotropic state. We find that the tack energy is
larger in the parallel alignment than the isotropic case by over a factor of
two. The tack energy for the perpendicular alignment can be 50% less than the
isotropic case. We propose a mechanism for reversibly switchable adhesion based
on the reversibility of the isotropic to nematic transition. Finally we
consider the influence of several material parameters that could be used to
tune the stress-strain response.
