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Liu Y, Song Y, Wu P. Self-Evolving Hierarchical Hydrogel Fibers with Circadian Rhythms and Memory Functions. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2404506. [PMID: 38837474 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202404506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
The fusion of hierarchical tissues at interfaces, incorporating ultrafast selective transport channels, enables efficient matter exchange and energy transfer across multiscale structures in living organisms. However, achieving these characteristics simultaneously in an artificial multimaterial system is challenging. Here, this work presents a multimaterial hydrogel fiber with a hierarchical structure of interface fusion, which forms spontaneously through in situ hierarchy evolution induced by ionic cross-linking and molecular shear flow. Water transport occurs in the angstrom-scale confined slits created by aligned cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) by direct Coulomb knock-on, resembling Newton's cradle motion. The fusion of interfaces enables high-efficiency water transport across multiscale layers, combined with Newton's cradle-like collective water motion, creating a highly sensitive negative feedback loop within the fiber. These fibers exhibit integrated behaviors of time-space perception, short-term memory and adaptive changes in shape. Additionally, they demonstrate rhythm characteristics, changing periodically in a 24-h day-night cycle. Composed of natural building blocks, these hierarchical hydrogel fibers exhibit a memristor effect similar to that of an elementary neuron, making them promising for applications in seamless on-skin and implantable bioelectronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjun Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibres and Polymer Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Donghua University, 2999 North Renmin Road, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Yuanzhu Song
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibres and Polymer Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Donghua University, 2999 North Renmin Road, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Peiyi Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibres and Polymer Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Donghua University, 2999 North Renmin Road, Shanghai, 201620, China
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Zhang J, Yin K, Zhuang Z, Zhou J, Tang Y, Xu J, Chen Y, Li Y, Sun Q. Wood waste-derived dual-mode materials paving the way for year-round energy saving in buildings. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2024; 11:3633-3642. [PMID: 38764412 DOI: 10.1039/d4mh00172a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
In the face of the challenges posed by global warming, traditional methods of building heating and cooling contribute significantly to electricity and coal consumption, thereby emitting considerable amounts of greenhouse gases. Here, a dual-mode thermal management structural material is created by processing sustainable cellulose and lignin derived from wood waste into gels, followed by lamination. The cellulose surface of the material exhibits the ability to scatter solar radiation backward while emitting strongly in the mid-infrared wavelengths, whereas the lignin surface absorbs visible and near-infrared light, primarily releasing energy through non-radiative transitions. Consequently, the material can achieve sub-ambient radiative cooling of 6 °C and solar heating of 27.5 °C during the daytime by simply flipping its orientation. This pioneering material showcases the potential to significantly reduce cooling energy consumption by an average of 18% and heating energy consumption by 42%. Moreover, the integration of a thermal-electric generator within the dual-layer structure optimally utilizes the temperature differential between the two layers, converting it into electrical power. Notably, the dual-mode thermal management structural material exhibits impressive mechanical strength, boasting a flexural strength of 102 MPa, surpassing that of natural wood by over 4.8 times. With its dual-mode functionality and embedded thermal-electric generator, this material represents a crucial step towards achieving both thermal comfort and energy autonomy in sustainable building practices, thereby contributing to a more environmentally friendly and efficient future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayi Zhang
- College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 311300, P. R. China.
| | - Kairen Yin
- College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 311300, P. R. China.
| | - Zirui Zhuang
- College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 311300, P. R. China.
| | - Jinghan Zhou
- College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 311300, P. R. China.
| | - Yixi Tang
- College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 311300, P. R. China.
| | - Jingyong Xu
- College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 311300, P. R. China.
| | - Yipeng Chen
- College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 311300, P. R. China.
| | - Yingying Li
- College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 311300, P. R. China.
| | - Qingfeng Sun
- College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 311300, P. R. China.
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Xu Y, He Y, Wu F, Zhou X, Liu M. Formation and Application of Polymer Spherulite-like Patterns of Halloysite Nanotubes by Evaporation-Induced Self-Assembly. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024. [PMID: 38471076 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c18917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) are one-dimensional clay nanomaterials featuring distinct tubular structures and unique surface charges. HNTs can readily form ordered assembly structures under specific conditions, which shows significant potential applications in optical and biological fields. In this study, sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) was employed as a stabilizer to prepare polymer spherulite-like patterns via the evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) technique. The incorporation of SHMP enhanced the repulsion force among the nanotubes and the surface potential, which facilitated the orderly deposition of HNTs. The influence of HNT concentration, SHMP concentration, drying temperature, and substrate on the polymer spherulites-like pattern has been investigated in detail. The optimal conditions were 10 wt % HNT dispersion, 0.6 wt % SHMP concentration, 30 °C as drying temperature, and glass substrates. In addition, by changing the droplet volume and shape of the three-phase contact line, patterns of different sizes and shapes can be achieved. Bovine serum albumin or metal salt compounds were incorporated into the dispersion of SHMP-modified HNTs, which altered the charge and the self-assembled patterns with different area ratios. Thus, this technology can be utilized for the analysis and comparison of protein and metal ion concentration accurately. This study creates the correlation between the structural parameters and the preparation process involved in creating polymer spherulite-like patterns of modified HNTs and offers fresh insights into potential applications for the self-assembly of HNT droplets in the realms of anticounterfeiting and solution concentration analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqian Xu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, PR of China
| | - Yunqing He
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, PR of China
| | - Feng Wu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, PR of China
| | - Xinyuan Zhou
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, PR of China
| | - Mingxian Liu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, PR of China
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Li P, Wang Z, Qi Y, Cai G, Zhao Y, Ming X, Lin Z, Ma W, Lin J, Li H, Shen K, Liu Y, Xu Z, Xu Z, Gao C. Bidirectionally promoting assembly order for ultrastiff and highly thermally conductive graphene fibres. Nat Commun 2024; 15:409. [PMID: 38195741 PMCID: PMC10776572 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44692-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Macroscopic fibres assembled from two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets are new and impressing type of fibre materials besides those from one-dimensional (1D) polymers, such as graphene fibres. However, the preparation and property-enhancing technologies of these fibres follow those from 1D polymers by improving the orientation along the fibre axis, leading to non-optimized microstructures and low integrated performances. Here, we show a concept of bidirectionally promoting the assembly order, making graphene fibres achieve synergistically improved mechanical and thermal properties. Concentric arrangement of graphene oxide sheets in the cross-section and alignment along fibre axis are realized by multiple shear-flow fields, which bidirectionally promotes the sheet-order of graphene sheets in solid fibres, generates densified and crystalline graphitic structures, and produces graphene fibres with ultrahigh modulus (901 GPa) and thermal conductivity (1660 W m-1 K-1). We believe that the concept would enhance both scientific and technological cognition of the assembly process of 2D nanosheets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 38 Zheda Road, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
| | - Ziqiu Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 38 Zheda Road, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
| | - Yuxiang Qi
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 38 Zheda Road, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
| | - Gangfeng Cai
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 38 Zheda Road, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
| | - Yingjie Zhao
- Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics and Center for Nano and Micro Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China
| | - Xin Ming
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 38 Zheda Road, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
| | - Zizhen Lin
- Key Laboratory for Thermal Science and Power Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China
| | - Weigang Ma
- Key Laboratory for Thermal Science and Power Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China
| | - Jiahao Lin
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 38 Zheda Road, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
| | - Hang Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 38 Zheda Road, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
| | - Kai Shen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 38 Zheda Road, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
| | - Yingjun Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 38 Zheda Road, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China.
- Shanxi-Zheda Institute of Advanced Materials and Chemical Engineering, Taiyuan, 030032, P. R. China.
| | - Zhen Xu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 38 Zheda Road, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China.
- Shanxi-Zheda Institute of Advanced Materials and Chemical Engineering, Taiyuan, 030032, P. R. China.
| | - Zhiping Xu
- Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics and Center for Nano and Micro Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China.
| | - Chao Gao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 38 Zheda Road, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China.
- Shanxi-Zheda Institute of Advanced Materials and Chemical Engineering, Taiyuan, 030032, P. R. China.
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He Y, Lin X, Feng Y, Wu F, Luo B, Liu M. Non-spherical assemblies of chitin nanocrystals by drop impact assembly. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 651:714-725. [PMID: 37567115 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.07.188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Preparing complex non-spherical assemblies of elongated nanoparticles and exploring their topological conformations is a challenge due to liquid crystals' mobility and elastic distortion. Here, we fabricated a variety of non-spherical liquid crystal assemblies of chitin nanocrystals (ChNCs) in a coagulation bath containing sodium triphosphate (STP) by drop impact assembly method, and the forming mechanism and internal topology were systematically investigated. The collection height, ChNCs concentration, and STP concentration have significant influence on the shape and size of the assembled structures. Long-range ordered structures and long-lived topological textures of the ChNCs liquid crystal can be obtained since a molecular interaction of hydrogen bonding and electrostatic attractions between ChNCs and STP occur during the impact assembly. Rheological and kinetic analysis suggested the shear thinning behavior of the ChNCs liquid crystals and the rapid gelation phenomenon of ChNCs induced by STP. Morphology results showed that the rod-like ChNCs in the non-spherical assemblies were orderly and closely arranged with periodic repetition and layered structure. The non-spherical assemblies of ChNCs liquid crystals can be used as carriers of carbon nanotubes, magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles, synthesized polymers, and anticancer drugs for functional composite applications. The drop impact assembly method of ChNCs liquid crystal structure is highly controllable on the composition, morphology, and function, which shows promising applications in energy, environmental-friendly, and bioactive materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunqing He
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, PR China
| | - Xiaoying Lin
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, PR China
| | - Yue Feng
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, PR China
| | - Feng Wu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, PR China
| | - Binghong Luo
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, PR China
| | - Mingxian Liu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, PR China.
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Yin K, Feng N, Godbert N, Xing P, Li H. Self-Assembly of Cholesteryl Carbon Dots with Circularly Polarized Luminescence in Solution and Solvent-Free Phases. J Phys Chem Lett 2023; 14:1088-1095. [PMID: 36700617 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c03829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Incorporating carbon dots (CDs) into chiral self-assemblies will endow the system with intriguing optoelectronic, catalytic, and chiroptical activities. Utilization of chiral substituents to rationally manipulate chiral self-assembly of the CDs, however, remains a major challenge. In this work, cholesteryl monoprotected ethylene diamine was used as a precursor to synthesize CDs with a cholesteryl periphery. The rigid, apolar, and chiral cholesteryl facilitates the polarity-sensitive self-assembly of CDs in organic solvents, showing circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) with dissymmetry g-factor at 10-3 grade. Temperature-variable characterizations suggested the formation of thermotropic liquid crystals within a wide temperature range driven by the interdigitation of cholesteryl segments, which further anchor the graphitic CD cores into tetragonal and cubic arrays. Self-assembly in a solvent-free state arouses sufficient chirality transfer and boosted the g-factors to 10-2 order of magnitude. This work unveils multiple and chiral self-assembly of CDs controlled by the cholesteryl substituents, exhibiting variable architectures and tunable CPL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keyang Yin
- Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry of Ministry of Education and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, People's Republic of China
| | - Ning Feng
- Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry of Ministry of Education and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, People's Republic of China
| | - Nicolas Godbert
- Laboratorio di Materiali Molecolari Inorganici, Centro di Eccellenza CEMIF.CAL, LASCAMM CR-INSTM della Calabria, Dipartimento di Chimica e Tecnologie Chimiche, Università della Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS) 87036, Italy
| | - Pengyao Xing
- Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry of Ministry of Education and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongguang Li
- Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry of Ministry of Education and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, People's Republic of China
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Kim M, Pierce K, Krecker M, Bukharina D, Adstedt K, Nepal D, Bunning T, Tsukruk VV. Monolithic Chiral Nematic Organization of Cellulose Nanocrystals under Capillary Confinement. ACS NANO 2021; 15:19418-19429. [PMID: 34874720 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c05988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate bioenabled crack-free chiral nematic films prepared via a unidirectional flow of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) in the capillary confinement. To facilitate the uniform long-range nanocrystal organization during drying, we utilized tunicate-inspired hydrogen-bonding-rich 3,4,5-trihydroxyphenethylamine hydrochloride (TOPA) for physical cross-linking of nanocrystals with enhanced hydrogen bonding and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a relaxer of internal stresses in the vicinity of the capillary surface. The CNC/TOPA/PEG film is organized as a left-handed chiral structure parallel to flat walls, and the inner volume of the films displayed transitional herringbone organization across the interfacial region. The resulting thin films also exhibit high mechanical performance compared to brittle films with multiple cracks commonly observed for capillary-formed pure CNC films. The chiral nematic ordering of modified TOPA-PEG-CNC material propagates through the entire thickness of robust monolithic films and across centimeter-sized surface areas, facilitating consistent, vivid iridescence, and enhanced circular polarization. The best performance that prevents the cracks was achieved for a CNC/TOPA/PEG film with a minimal, 3% amount of TOPA. Overall, we suggest that intercalation of small highly adhesive molecules to cellulose nanocrystal-polymer matrices can facilitate uniform flow of liquid crystal phase and drying inside the capillary, resulting in improvement of the ultimate tensile strength and toughness (77% and 100% increase, respectively) with controlled uniform optical reflection and enhanced circular polarization unachievable during regular drying conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minkyu Kim
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Kellina Pierce
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Michelle Krecker
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Daria Bukharina
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Katarina Adstedt
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Dhriti Nepal
- Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio 45433, United States
| | - Timothy Bunning
- Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio 45433, United States
| | - Vladimir V Tsukruk
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
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Li X, Liu J, Li D, Huang S, Huang K, Zhang X. Bioinspired Multi-Stimuli Responsive Actuators with Synergistic Color- and Morphing-Change Abilities. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2021; 8:e2101295. [PMID: 34114362 PMCID: PMC8373155 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202101295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The combination of complex perception, defense, and camouflage mechanisms is a pivotal instinctive ability that equips organisms with survival advantages. The simulations of such fascinating multi-stimuli responsiveness, including thigmotropism, bioluminescence, color-changing ability, and so on, are of great significance for scientists to develop novel biomimetic smart materials. However, most biomimetic color-changing or luminescence materials can only realize a single stimulus-response, hence the design and fabrication of multi-stimuli responsive materials with synergistic color-changing are still on the way. Here, a bioinspired multi-stimuli responsive actuator with color- and morphing-change abilities is developed by taking advantage of the assembled cellulose nanocrystals-based cholesteric liquid crystal structure and its water/temperature response behaviors. The actuator exhibits superfast, reversible bi-directional humidity and near-infrared (NIR) light actuating ability (humidity: 9 s; NIR light: 16 s), accompanying with synergistic iridescent appearance which provides a visual cue for the movement of actuators. This work paves the way for biomimetic multi-stimuli responsive materials and will have a wide range of applications such as optical anti-counterfeiting devices, information storage materials, and smart soft robots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinkai Li
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials EngineeringPolymer Research Institute of Sichuan UniversityNo.24 South Section 1, Yihuan RoadChengdu610065China
| | - Jize Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials EngineeringPolymer Research Institute of Sichuan UniversityNo.24 South Section 1, Yihuan RoadChengdu610065China
| | - Dongdong Li
- Environmental protection facilities or service departmentGuangxi Beitou Environmental Protection & Water Group Co.Ltd. 153 Minzu AvenueNanning530029China
| | - Shaoquan Huang
- National Engineering Research Center for Non‐Food BiorefineryGuangxi Key Laboratory of Bio‐refineryGuangxi Academy of Sciences98 Daling RoadNanning530007China
| | - Kai Huang
- National Engineering Research Center for Non‐Food BiorefineryGuangxi Key Laboratory of Bio‐refineryGuangxi Academy of Sciences98 Daling RoadNanning530007China
| | - Xinxing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials EngineeringPolymer Research Institute of Sichuan UniversityNo.24 South Section 1, Yihuan RoadChengdu610065China
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Sheng M, Li J, Jiang X, Wang C, Li J, Zhang L, Fu S. Biomimetic Solid-Liquid Transition Structural Dye-Doped Liquid Crystal/Phase-Change-Material Microcapsules Designed for Wearable Bistable Electrochromic Fabric. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:33282-33290. [PMID: 34227793 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c08135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
A novel polymer microcapsule-filled dye-doped liquid crystal (DDLC) and phase-change material (PCM) system inspired by biological materials was first proposed, which was further encapsulated into a calcium alginate substrate by wet spinning for making an electrochromic fiber with both bistable electric-optical capability and knitting characteristics. Results show that the optical appearance of the optimized microcapsules and fiber can be reversibly changed between colored and colorless states according to the electric field by switching the DDLCs between isotropic (I) and anisotropic (A) states. Moreover, both I and A states can remain stable for more than 1 week after removing the electric field, due to the synergy of the greatly increased spatial hindrance of the PCM with core loading of 22.58% and the confinement effect from the polymer microcapsule shell material. Aside from the long-term optical stability, the high content of the densely packed DDLCs also endows the electrochromic fiber with a satisfactory driving voltage of 9.7 V, which is below the human safe voltage, showing great potential in a wide range of applications, such as flexible displays, energy-saving smart windows, and wearable advanced textiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingfei Sheng
- Key Laboratory of Science & Technology of Eco-Textile, Jiangnan University, Ministry of Education, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Jingjing Li
- The First Scientific Research Institute of Wuxi, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Xiaojun Jiang
- The First Scientific Research Institute of Wuxi, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Chengcheng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Science & Technology of Eco-Textile, Jiangnan University, Ministry of Education, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Jiashuang Li
- Key Laboratory of Science & Technology of Eco-Textile, Jiangnan University, Ministry of Education, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Liping Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Science & Technology of Eco-Textile, Jiangnan University, Ministry of Education, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Shaohai Fu
- Key Laboratory of Science & Technology of Eco-Textile, Jiangnan University, Ministry of Education, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
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