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Han JY, Noh B, Lee G, Lee C, Lee KJ, Yoon DK. Fabrication of Zigzag Parylene Nanofibers in Liquid Crystals with Electric Field-Induced Defect Structures. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:11125-11133. [PMID: 38373224 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c00611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Liquid crystals (LCs) have been adopted to induce tunable physical properties that dynamically originated from their unique intrinsic properties responding to external stimuli, such as surface anchoring condition and applied electric field, which enables them to be the template for aligning functional guest materials. We fabricate the fiber array from the electrically modulated (in-plain) nematic LC template using the chemical vapor polymerization (CVP) method. Under an electric field, an induced defect structure with a winding number of -1/2 contains a periodic zigzag disclination line. It is known that LC defect structures can trap the guest materials, such as particles and chemicals. However, the resulting fibers grow along the LC directors, not trapped in the defects. To show the versatility of our platform, nanofibers are fabricated on patterned electrodes representing the alphabets 'CVP.' In addition, the semifluorinated moieties are added to fibers to provide a hydrophobic surface. The resultant orientation-controlled fibers will be used in controllable smart surfaces that can be used in sensors, electronics, photonics, and biomimetic surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeong Yeon Han
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Byeongil Noh
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Gunoh Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Changjae Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung Jin Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Ki Yoon
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- KAIST Institute for Nanocentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
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Szustakiewicz P, Powała F, Szepke D, Lewandowski W, Majewski PW. Unrestricted Chiral Patterning by Laser Writing in Liquid Crystalline and Plasmonic Nanocomposite Thin Films. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023:e2310197. [PMID: 37905376 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202310197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Obtaining hierarchical structures with arbitrarily controlled chirality remains a challenge. Here, thin films featuring chiroptically bipolar patterns are produced by a device utilizing microscale photothermal re-melting of materials exhibiting chirality synchronization. This device operates autonomously, guided by an algorithm that facilitates the homochiral growth of supramolecular organic helices through controlling their re-melting. The chirality synchronization phenomena of constitutionally achiral molecules grants availability of both handednesses of the helices, enabling unrestricted chiral writing in the film. The collective chiroptical response of assembled molecules is utilised to guide the patterning process, creating a foundation for optically secured information. The established methodology enables achieving dissymmetry factor values for circular dichroism (CD) a magnitude higher than previously reported, as confirmed with state-of-the-art, synchrotron-based Mueller matrix polarimetry (MMP). Moreover, the developed method is extended to nanocomposites comprising gold nanoparticles, providing the opportunity to tune the CD toward the plasmonic region. This strategic application of photothermal processing, specifically laser-directed melting, uncovers the potential to broaden the selection of nanostructured materials with precisely designed functionalities for photonic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Filip Powała
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, 02089, Poland
| | - Dorota Szepke
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, 02089, Poland
| | | | - Pawel W Majewski
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, 02089, Poland
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Park G, Choi YS, Kwon SJ, Yoon DK. Planar Spin Glass with Topologically Protected Mazes in the Liquid Crystal Targeting for Reconfigurable Micro Security Media. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2303077. [PMID: 37148534 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202303077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2012] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The planar spin glass pattern is widely known for its inherent randomness, resulting from the geometrical frustration. As such, developing physical unclonable functions (PUFs)-which operate with device randomness-with planar spin glass patterns is a promising candidate for an advanced security systems in the upcoming digitalized society. Despite their inherent randomness, traditional magnetic spin glass patterns pose considerable obstacles in detection, making it challenging to achieve authentication in security systems. This necessitates the development of facilely observable mimetic patterns with similar randomness to overcome these challenges. Here, a straightforward approach is introduced using a topologically protected maze pattern in the chiral liquid crystals (LCs). This maze exhibits a comparable level of randomness to magnetic spin glass and can be reliably identified through the combination of optical microscopy with machine learning-based object detection techniques. The "information" embedded in the maze can be reconstructed through thermal phase transitions of the LCs in tens of seconds. Furthermore, incorporating various elements can enhance the optical PUF, resulting in a multi-factor security medium. It is expected that this security medium, based on microscopically controlled and macroscopically uncontrolled topologically protected structures, may be utilized as a next-generation security system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geonhyeong Park
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun-Seok Choi
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - S Joon Kwon
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
- SKKU Institute of Energy Science & Technology (SIEST), Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
- KAIST Institute for Nanocentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Ki Yoon
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- Department of Semiconductor Convergence Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
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Zhao H, Malomed BA, Smalyukh II. Topological solitonic macromolecules. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4581. [PMID: 37516736 PMCID: PMC10387112 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40335-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Being ubiquitous, solitons have particle-like properties, exhibiting behaviour often associated with atoms. Bound solitons emulate dynamics of molecules, though solitonic analogues of polymeric materials have not been considered yet. Here we experimentally create and model soliton polymers, which we call "polyskyrmionomers", built of atom-like individual solitons characterized by the topological invariant representing the skyrmion number. With the help of nonlinear optical imaging and numerical modelling based on minimizing the free energy, we reveal how topological point defects bind the solitonic quasi-atoms into polyskyrmionomers, featuring linear, branched, and other macromolecule-resembling architectures, as well as allowing for encoding data by spatial distributions of the skyrmion number. Application of oscillating electric fields activates diverse modes of locomotion and internal vibrations of these self-assembled soliton structures, which depend on symmetry of the solitonic macromolecules. Our findings suggest new designs of soliton meta matter, with a potential for the use in fundamental research and technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanqing Zhao
- Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Boris A Malomed
- Department of Physical Electronics, School of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, and Center for Light-Matter Interaction, Tel Aviv University, P.O.B. 39040, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Instituto de Alta Investigación, Universidad de Tarapacá, Casilla 7D, Arica, Chile
| | - Ivan I Smalyukh
- Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA.
- Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA.
- International Institute for Sustainability with Knotted Chiral Meta Matter (WPI-SKCM²), Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8526, Japan.
- Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute, National Renewable Energy Laboratory and University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA.
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