1
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Chen Y, Zheng C, Yang W, Li J, Jin F, Shi L, Wang J, Jiang L. Super-Wide Temperature Lasers Spanning from -180 to 240 °C Based on Fully-Polymerized Blue Phase Superstructures. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2308439. [PMID: 38270274 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202308439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Blue phase liquid crystal (BPLC) lasers have potential applications in displays, sensors, and anti-counterfeiting fields owing to their outstanding optical properties. However, there remain challenges on lasing below 0 °C, which significantly limits the potential application of BPLC lasers in low-temperature environments. In this work, BPLC lasing below 0 °C is realized for the first time in a super-wide temperature range of -180-240 °C using a well-designed fully-polymerized BPLC system with a narrow line width of 0.0881 nm and a low lasing threshold of 37 nJ pulse-1. This fully-polymerized BPLC both effectively avoids low-temperature random crystallization and has excellent compatibility with dye molecules that significantly widen the lasing temperature range below 0 °C. Besides, the variations of laser peak and threshold are also revealed below 0 °C, that is, redshifted laser wavelength and increased threshold value with decreasing temperature, which contribute to a blue-shifted laser signal and a U-shaped lasing threshold in -180-240 °C. These unique laser behaviors can be ascribed to the temperature-dependent anisotropically microstructural deformation of the BP lattice. This work not only opens a door to the development of low-temperature BPLC lasers but also sets out important insights in the design of novel organic optical devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujie Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Sciences, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- Center of Material Sciences and Optoelectronics Engineering, School of Future Technologies, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101407, China
| | - Chenglin Zheng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Sciences, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- Center of Material Sciences and Optoelectronics Engineering, School of Future Technologies, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101407, China
| | - Wenjie Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Sciences, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- Center of Material Sciences and Optoelectronics Engineering, School of Future Technologies, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101407, China
| | - Jing Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Sciences, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Feng Jin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Sciences, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Lei Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Key Laboratory of Micro- and Nano-Photonic Structures (Ministry of Education) and Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Jingxia Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Sciences, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- Center of Material Sciences and Optoelectronics Engineering, School of Future Technologies, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101407, China
| | - Lei Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Sciences, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- Center of Material Sciences and Optoelectronics Engineering, School of Future Technologies, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101407, China
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2
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Chen Y, Zheng C, Yang W, Li J, Jin F, Li X, Wang J, Jiang L. Over 200 °C Broad-Temperature Lasers Reconstructed from a Blue-Phase Polymer Scaffold. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2022; 34:e2206580. [PMID: 36189900 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202206580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Blue-phase liquid crystal (BPLC) lasers have received extensive attention and have potential applications in sensors, displays, and anti-counterfeiting, owing to their unique 3D photonic bandgap. However, the working temperature range of such BPLC lasers is insufficient, and investigations are required to elucidate the underlying mechanism. Herein, a broad-temperature reconstructed laser is successfully achieved in dye-doped polymer-stabilized blue-phase liquid crystals (DD-PSBPLCs) with an unprecedented working temperature range of 25-230 °C based on a robust polymer scaffold, which combines the thermal stability and the tunability from the system. The broad-temperature lasing stems from the high thermal stability of the robust polymerized system used, which affords enough reflected and matched fluorescence signals. The temperature-tunable lasing behavior of the DD-PSBPLCs is associated with the phase transition of the unpolymerized content (≈60 wt%) in the system, which endows with a reconstructed characteristic of BP lasers including a U-shaped lasing threshold, a reversible lasing wavelength, and an obvious lasing enhancement at about 70 °C. This work not only provides a new idea for the design of broad-temperature BPLC lasers, but also sets out important insight in innovative microstructure changes for novel multifunctional organic optic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujie Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Materials and Interfacial Sciences, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- Center of Material Sciences and Optoelectronics Engineering, School of Future Technologies, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101407, China
| | - Chenglin Zheng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Materials and Interfacial Sciences, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- Center of Material Sciences and Optoelectronics Engineering, School of Future Technologies, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101407, China
| | - Wenjie Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Materials and Interfacial Sciences, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- Center of Material Sciences and Optoelectronics Engineering, School of Future Technologies, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101407, China
| | - Jing Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Materials and Interfacial Sciences, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Feng Jin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Materials and Interfacial Sciences, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Xiuhong Li
- Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201204, China
| | - Jingxia Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Materials and Interfacial Sciences, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- Center of Material Sciences and Optoelectronics Engineering, School of Future Technologies, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101407, China
| | - Lei Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Materials and Interfacial Sciences, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- Center of Material Sciences and Optoelectronics Engineering, School of Future Technologies, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101407, China
- Ji Hua Laboratory, Foshan, Guangdong, 528000, P. R. China
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3
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Fujii S, Henrich O. Shear-enhanced elasticity in the cubic blue phase I. Phys Rev E 2021; 103:052704. [PMID: 34134336 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.103.052704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
We present results of the linear and nonlinear rheology of the cubic blue phase I (BPI). The elasticity of BPI is dominated by double-twist cylinders assembled in a body-centered cubic lattice, which can be specified by disclination lines. We find that the elasticity of BPI is enhanced by an order of magnitude by applying pre-shear. The shear-enhanced elasticity is attributed to a rearrangement of the disclination lines that are arrested in a metastable state. Our results are relevant for the understanding of the dynamics of disclinations in the cubic blue phases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuji Fujii
- Department of Food & Life Sciences, Toyo University, Tokyo 112-0001, Japan
| | - Oliver Henrich
- Department of Physics, SUPA, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, Scotland, United Kingdom
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4
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Liu J, Liu W, Guan B, Wang B, Shi L, Jin F, Zheng Z, Wang J, Ikeda T, Jiang L. Diffusionless transformation of soft cubic superstructure from amorphous to simple cubic and body-centered cubic phases. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3477. [PMID: 34108449 PMCID: PMC8190294 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23631-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
In a narrow temperature window in going from the isotropic to highly chiral orders, cholesteric liquid crystals exhibit so-called blue phases, consisting of different morphologies of long, space-filling double twisted cylinders. Those of cubic spatial symmetry have attracted considerable attention in recent years as templates for soft photonic materials. The latter often requires the creation of monodomains of predefined orientation and size, but their engineering is complicated by a lack of comprehensive understanding of how blue phases nucleate and transform into each other at a submicrometer length scale. In this work, we accomplish this by intercepting nucleation processes at intermediate stages with fast cross-linking of a stabilizing polymer matrix. We reveal using transmission electron microscopy, synchrotron small-angle X-ray diffraction, and angle-resolved microspectroscopy that the grid of double-twisted cylinders undergoes highly coordinated, diffusionless transformations. In light of our findings, the implementation of several applications is discussed, such as temperature-switchable QR codes, micro-area lasing, and fabrication of blue phase liquid crystals with large domain sizes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfaces Sciences, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Center of Material Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wenzhe Liu
- Department of Physics, Key Laboratory of Micro-and Nano-Photonic Structures, and State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bo Guan
- Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Physics, Key Laboratory of Micro-and Nano-Photonic Structures, and State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Shi
- Department of Physics, Key Laboratory of Micro-and Nano-Photonic Structures, and State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Feng Jin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfaces Sciences, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhigang Zheng
- Department of Physics, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jingxia Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfaces Sciences, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. .,Center of Material Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Tomiki Ikeda
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfaces Sciences, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfaces Sciences, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Center of Material Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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5
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Yang Y, Wang L, Yang H, Li Q. 3D Chiral Photonic Nanostructures Based on Blue‐Phase Liquid Crystals. SMALL SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/smsc.202100007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yanzhao Yang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering Tianjin University Tianjin 300350 China
| | - Ling Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering Tianjin University Tianjin 300350 China
| | - Huai Yang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering College of Engineering Peking University Beijing 100871 China
| | - Quan Li
- Institute of Advanced Materials and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Southeast University Nanjing 211189 China
- Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute and Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program Kent State University Kent OH 44242 USA
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6
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Jangizehi A, Schmid F, Besenius P, Kremer K, Seiffert S. Defects and defect engineering in Soft Matter. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:10809-10859. [PMID: 33306078 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm01371d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Soft matter covers a wide range of materials based on linear or branched polymers, gels and rubbers, amphiphilic (macro)molecules, colloids, and self-assembled structures. These materials have applications in various industries, all highly important for our daily life, and they control all biological functions; therefore, controlling and tailoring their properties is crucial. One way to approach this target is defect engineering, which aims to control defects in the material's structure, and/or to purposely add defects into it to trigger specific functions. While this approach has been a striking success story in crystalline inorganic hard matter, both for mechanical and electronic properties, and has also been applied to organic hard materials, defect engineering is rarely used in soft matter design. In this review, we present a survey on investigations on defects and/or defect engineering in nine classes of soft matter composed of liquid crystals, colloids, linear polymers with moderate degree of branching, hyperbranched polymers and dendrimers, conjugated polymers, polymeric networks, self-assembled amphiphiles and proteins, block copolymers and supramolecular polymers. This overview proposes a promising role of this approach for tuning the properties of soft matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Jangizehi
- Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Department of Chemistry, Duesbergweg 10-14, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
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7
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Lee JJ, Kim BC, Choi HJ, Bae S, Araoka F, Choi SW. Inverse Helical Nanofilament Networks Serving as a Chiral Nanotemplate. ACS NANO 2020; 14:5243-5250. [PMID: 32227912 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c00393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Herein, an epoch-making method based on bottom-up templating is proposed for the fabrication of a chiral nanoporous film that provides a chiral environment in which to confine nematic liquid crystals. A helical nanofilamental network of bent-core molecules was utilized as a three-dimensional mold, and thus the fabricated chiral nanoporous film has an inverse nanohelical structure. The presence of a chiral superstructure was confirmed by the observation of circular dichroism signals. Upon refilling this chiral nanoporous film with an achiral nematic liquid crystal, distinct circular dichroism signals appeared due to the transfer of chirality from the inverse helical nanofilaments to the achiral nematic liquid crystal. The circular dichroism signals can be readily modulated by external stimuli, such as the application of heat or an electric field. In addition, by refilling the chiral nanoporous film with a nematic liquid crystal doped with fluorescent dye, it exhibits stimuli-responsive circularly polarized luminescence. The proposed approach has huge potential for practical applications, such as for chiroptical modulators and switches and biological sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae-Jin Lee
- Department of Advanced Materials Engineering for Information and Electronics (BK21Plus) Kyung Hee University, Yongin-shi, Gyeonggi-do 17104, Korea
| | - Byeong-Cheon Kim
- Department of Advanced Materials Engineering for Information and Electronics (BK21Plus) Kyung Hee University, Yongin-shi, Gyeonggi-do 17104, Korea
| | - Hyeon-Joon Choi
- Department of Advanced Materials Engineering for Information and Electronics (BK21Plus) Kyung Hee University, Yongin-shi, Gyeonggi-do 17104, Korea
| | - Sangwok Bae
- Department of Advanced Materials Engineering for Information and Electronics (BK21Plus) Kyung Hee University, Yongin-shi, Gyeonggi-do 17104, Korea
| | - Fumito Araoka
- Physicochemical Soft Matter Research Unit, RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS), Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Suk-Won Choi
- Department of Advanced Materials Engineering for Information and Electronics (BK21Plus) Kyung Hee University, Yongin-shi, Gyeonggi-do 17104, Korea
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8
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Li X, Martínez-González JA, Guzmán O, Ma X, Park K, Zhou C, Kambe Y, Jin HM, Dolan JA, Nealey PF, de Pablo JJ. Sculpted grain boundaries in soft crystals. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaax9112. [PMID: 31819903 PMCID: PMC6884414 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax9112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Engineering the grain boundaries of crystalline materials represents an enduring challenge, particularly in the case of soft materials. Grain boundaries, however, can provide preferential sites for chemical reactions, adsorption processes, nucleation of phase transitions, and mechanical transformations. In this work, "soft heteroepitaxy" is used to exert precise control over the lattice orientation of three-dimensional liquid crystalline soft crystals, thereby granting the ability to sculpt the grain boundaries between them. Since these soft crystals are liquid-like in nature, the heteroepitaxy approach introduced here provides a clear strategy to accurately mold liquid-liquid interfaces in structured liquids with a hitherto unavailable level of precision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Li
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA
| | - José A. Martínez-González
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Av. Parque Chapultepec 1570, San Luis Potosí 78295, SLP, México
| | - Orlando Guzmán
- Departamento de Física, Universidad Autonóma Metropolitana, Av. San Rafael Atlixco 186, Ciudad de México 09340, México
| | - Xuedan Ma
- Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Kangho Park
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Chun Zhou
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Yu Kambe
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Hyeong Min Jin
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - James A. Dolan
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Center for Molecular Engineering, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Paul F. Nealey
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Center for Molecular Engineering, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Juan J. de Pablo
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Center for Molecular Engineering, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
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9
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Augmenting Bragg Reflection with Polymer-sustained Conical Helix. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5468. [PMID: 30940868 PMCID: PMC6445128 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41836-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
There has been a recent surge of interest in smart materials and devices with stimuli-responsive properties for optical modulations. Cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) are a unique class of light-manipulating materials, and strongly interact with light and other electromagnetic (EM) waves. Because of their intricate helical structure, new properties of CLC have emerged revealing unique optical behavior that has resulted in rewriting Braggs’ law for how light interacts with soft materials. The aim of this work is to push the limits of spectral tuning with a new method of augmenting light-cholesteric interactions using a polymer-sustained conical helix (PSCH) structure. We experimentally explore the reversibility of reflective wavelength modulation and validate the mechanism enhanced by a polymer-sustained helicoidal structure via theoretical analyses. The conical helix structure of a CLC, formed by low-field-induced oblique orientation of cholesteric helices, is comprised of a chiral dopant, a conventional nematic, and bimesogenic and trimesogenic nematics. Polymerizing a small amount of a reactive mesogen in the CLC with an applied electric field produces a templated helical polymer network that enables three switched optical states, including light-scattering and transparent states as well as color reflection in response to an applied increasing or decreasing electric field. An electro-activated PSCH optical film covers a wide color space, which is appropriate for tunable color device applications. We envisage that this PSCH material will lead to new avenues for controlling EM waves in imaging and thermal control, smart windows and electronic papers.
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10
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Lin P, Yan Q, Wei Z, Chen Y, Chen F, Huang Z, Li X, Wang H, Wang X, Cheng Z. All-inorganic perovskite quantum dots stabilized blue phase liquid crystals. OPTICS EXPRESS 2018; 26:18310-18319. [PMID: 30114012 DOI: 10.1364/oe.26.018310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
All-inorganic perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) have been effectively incorporated in the three-dimensional ordered structure of blue phase liquid crystals (BPLCs) to stabilize the BPLCs. Uniform dispersion, reduced phase transition temperature, widened BP temperature range, dynamic and fast electro-optical response and static optical display of selective reflection mode and photoluminescence mode have been confirmed with a given concentration of PQDs. Such a novel strategy of assembling all-inorganic PQDs in BPLCs shows favorable prospects for wide-range and near room temperature BPLCs, responsive BPLCs, multifunctional display materials and tunable bandgap lasers.
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11
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Nonlinear Rheology and Fracture of Disclination Network in Cholesteric Blue Phase III. FLUIDS 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/fluids3020034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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12
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Gandhi SS, Chien LC. Unraveling the Mystery of the Blue Fog: Structure, Properties, and Applications of Amorphous Blue Phase III. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2017; 29:1704296. [PMID: 28994150 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201704296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Revised: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The amorphous blue phase III of cholesteric liquid crystals, also known as the "blue fog," are among the rising stars in materials science that can potentially be used to develop next-generation displays with the ability to compete toe-to-toe with disruptive technologies like organic light-emitting diodes. The structure and properties of the practically unobservable blue phase III have eluded scientists for more than a century since it was discovered. This progress report reviews the developments in this field from both fundamental and applied research perspectives. The first part of this progress report gives an overview of the 130-years-long scientific tour-de-force that very recently resulted in the revelation of the mysterious structure of blue phase III. The second part reviews progress made in the past decade in developing electrooptical, optical, and photonic devices based on blue phase III. The strong and weak aspects of the development of these devices are underlined and criticized, respectively. The third- and-final part proposes ideas for further improvement in blue phase III technology to make it feasible for commercialization and widespread use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahil Sandesh Gandhi
- Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program and Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, 1425 Lefton Esplanade, Kent, OH, 44242, USA
| | - Liang-Chy Chien
- Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program and Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, 1425 Lefton Esplanade, Kent, OH, 44242, USA
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13
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Martínez-González JA, Li X, Sadati M, Zhou Y, Zhang R, Nealey PF, de Pablo JJ. Directed self-assembly of liquid crystalline blue-phases into ideal single-crystals. Nat Commun 2017. [PMID: 28621314 PMCID: PMC5481765 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Chiral nematic liquid crystals are known to form blue phases—liquid states of matter that exhibit ordered cubic arrangements of topological defects. Blue-phase specimens, however, are generally polycrystalline, consisting of randomly oriented domains that limit their performance in applications. A strategy that relies on nano-patterned substrates is presented here for preparation of stable, macroscopic single-crystal blue-phase materials. Different template designs are conceived to exert control over different planes of the blue-phase lattice orientation with respect to the underlying substrate. Experiments are then used to demonstrate that it is indeed possible to create stable single-crystal blue-phase domains with the desired orientation over large regions. These results provide a potential avenue to fully exploit the electro-optical properties of blue phases, which have been hindered by the existence of grain boundaries. Blue phases are a liquid crystalline state with attractive optical properties but their use in devices can be hindered by their polycrystalline nature. Here the authors create monocrystalline blue phase domains by designing substrates with patterns which are determined by field-theoretic simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose A Martínez-González
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.,Material Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, USA
| | - Xiao Li
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Monirosadat Sadati
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Ye Zhou
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Rui Zhang
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Paul F Nealey
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.,Material Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, USA
| | - Juan J de Pablo
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.,Material Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, USA
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14
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Meng X, Gorbunov AV, Christian Roelofs WS, Meskers SCJ, Janssen RAJ, Kemerink M, Sijbesma RP. Ferroelectric switching and electrochemistry of pyrrole substituted trialkylbenzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamides. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 55:673-683. [PMID: 28344384 PMCID: PMC5347932 DOI: 10.1002/polb.24318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
We explore a new approach to organic ferroelectric diodes using a benzene‐tricarboxamide (BTA) core connected with C10 alkyl chains to pyrrole groups, which can be polymerized to provide a semiconducting ferroelectric material. The compound possesses a columnar hexagonal liquid crystalline (LC) phase and exhibits ferroelectric switching. At low switching frequencies, an additional process occurs, which leads to a high hysteretic charge density of up to ∼1000 mC/m2. Based on its slow rate, the formation of gas bubbles, and the emergence of characteristic polypyrrole absorption bands in the UV–Vis–NIR, the additional process is identified as the oxidative polymerization of pyrrole groups, enabled by the presence of amide groups. Polymerization of the pyrrole groups, which is essential to obtain semiconductivity, is limited to thin layers at the electrodes, amounting to ∼17 nm after cycling for 21 h. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017, 55, 673–683
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Meng
- Laboratory of Macromolecular and Organic Chemistry Eindhoven University of Technology PO Box 513 Eindhoven MB 5600 The Netherlands
| | - Andrey V Gorbunov
- Department of Applied Physics Eindhoven University of Technology PO Box 513 Eindhoven MB 5600 The Netherlands
| | - W S Christian Roelofs
- Department of Applied Physics Eindhoven University of Technology PO Box 513 Eindhoven MB 5600 The Netherlands
| | - Stefan C J Meskers
- Laboratory of Macromolecular and Organic Chemistry Eindhoven University of Technology PO Box 513 Eindhoven MB 5600 The Netherlands
| | - René A J Janssen
- Laboratory of Macromolecular and Organic Chemistry Eindhoven University of Technology PO Box 513 Eindhoven MB 5600 The Netherlands; Department of Applied Physics Eindhoven University of Technology PO Box 513 Eindhoven MB 5600 The Netherlands
| | - Martijn Kemerink
- Department of Applied Physics Eindhoven University of Technology PO Box 513 Eindhoven MB 5600 The Netherlands; Complex Materials and Devices, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM) Linköping University Linköping SE 58183 Sweden
| | - Rint P Sijbesma
- Laboratory of Macromolecular and Organic Chemistry Eindhoven University of Technology PO Box 513 Eindhoven MB 5600 The Netherlands
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