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Guo S, Tao H, Gao G, Mhatre S, Lu Y, Takagi A, Li J, Mo L, Rojas OJ, Chu G. All-Aqueous Bicontinuous Structured Liquid Crystal Emulsion through Intraphase Trapping of Cellulose Nanoparticles. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:367-376. [PMID: 36479984 PMCID: PMC9832472 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Here, we describe the all-aqueous bicontinuous emulsions with cholesteric liquid crystal domains through hierarchical colloidal self-assembly of nanoparticles. This is achieved by homogenization of a rod-like cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) with two immiscible, phase separating polyethylene glycol (PEG) and dextran polymer solutions. The dispersed CNCs exhibit unequal affinity for the binary polymer mixtures that depends on the balance of osmotic and chemical potential between the two phases. Once at the critical concentration, CNC particles are constrained within one component of the polymer phases and self-assemble into a cholesteric organization. The obtained liquid crystal emulsion demonstrates a confined three-dimensional percolating bicontinuous network with cholesteric self-assembly of CNC within the PEG phase; meanwhile, the nanoparticles in the dextran phase remain isotropic instead. Our results provide an alternative way to arrest bicontinuous structures through intraphase trapping and assembling of nanoparticles, which is a viable and flexible route to extend for a wide range of colloidal systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shasha Guo
- School
of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Pulp
and Paper Engineering, South China University
of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China,Bioproducts
Institute, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Department
of Chemistry and Department of Wood Science, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Han Tao
- Bio-based
Colloids and Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems,
School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, Vuorimiehentie 1, Espoo 02510, Finland
| | - Guang Gao
- Department
of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Sameer Mhatre
- Bioproducts
Institute, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Department
of Chemistry and Department of Wood Science, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Yi Lu
- Bioproducts
Institute, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Department
of Chemistry and Department of Wood Science, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Ayako Takagi
- Bioproducts
Institute, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Department
of Chemistry and Department of Wood Science, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Jun Li
- School
of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Pulp
and Paper Engineering, South China University
of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Lihuan Mo
- School
of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Pulp
and Paper Engineering, South China University
of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Orlando J. Rojas
- Bioproducts
Institute, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Department
of Chemistry and Department of Wood Science, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada,Bio-based
Colloids and Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems,
School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, Vuorimiehentie 1, Espoo 02510, Finland,, . Phone: +358503080661
| | - Guang Chu
- Bio-based
Colloids and Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems,
School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, Vuorimiehentie 1, Espoo 02510, Finland,. Phone: +1-604-822-3457
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2
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Chu G, Sohrabi F, Timonen JVI, Rojas OJ. Dispersing swimming microalgae in self-assembled nanocellulose suspension: Unveiling living colloid dynamics in cholesteric liquid crystals. J Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 622:978-985. [PMID: 35569411 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.05.012] [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: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Active matter comprises individual energy-consuming components that convert locally stored energy into mechanical motion. Among these, liquid crystal dispersed self-propelled colloids have displayed fascinating dynamic effects and nonequilibrium behaviors. In this work, we introduce a new type of active soft matter based on swimming microalgae and lyotropic nanocellulose liquid crystal. Cellulose is a kind of biocompatible polysaccharide that nontoxic to living biological colloids. In contrast to microalgae locomotion in isotropic and low viscosity media, we demonstrate that the propulsion force of swimming microalgae can overcome the stabilizing elastic force in cholesteric nanocellulose liquid crystal, with the displacement dynamics (gait, direction, frequency, and speed) be altered by the surrounding medium. Simultaneously, the active stress and shear flow exerted by swimming microalgae can introduce local perturbation in surrounding liquid crystal orientation order. The latter effect yields hydrodynamic fluctuations in bulk phase as well as layer undulations, helicoidal axis splay deformation and director bending in the cholesteric assembly, which finally followed by a recovery according to the inherent viscoelasticity of liquid crystal matrix. Our results point to an unorthodox design concept to generate a new type of hybrid soft matter that combines nontoxic cholesteric liquid crystal and active particles, which are expected to open opportunities in biosensing and biomechanical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang Chu
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University School of Chemical Engineering, Vuorimiehentie 1, 02510 Espoo, Finland.
| | - Fereshteh Sohrabi
- Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University School of Science, Puumiehenkuja 2, 02150 Espoo, Finland
| | - Jaakko V I Timonen
- Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University School of Science, Puumiehenkuja 2, 02150 Espoo, Finland
| | - Orlando J Rojas
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University School of Chemical Engineering, Vuorimiehentie 1, 02510 Espoo, Finland; Bioproducts Institute, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Department of Chemistry and Department of Wood Science, 2360 East Mall, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.
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3
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Bai L, Huan S, Zhao B, Zhu Y, Esquena J, Chen F, Gao G, Zussman E, Chu G, Rojas OJ. All-Aqueous Liquid Crystal Nanocellulose Emulsions with Permeable Interfacial Assembly. ACS NANO 2020; 14:13380-13390. [PMID: 32946222 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c05251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We report on the formation of water-in-water liquid crystal emulsions with permeable colloidal assemblies. Rodlike cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) spontaneously self-assemble into a helical arrangement with the coexistence of nonionic, hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG) and dextran, whereas the two polymer solutions are thermodynamically incompatible. Stable water-in-water emulsions are easily prepared by mixing the respective CNC/polymer solutions, showing micrometric CNC/PEG dispersed droplets and a continuous CNC/dextran phase. With time, the resulting emulsion demixes into an upper, droplet-lean isotropic phase and a bottom, droplet-rich cholesteric phase. Owing to the osmotic pressure gradient between PEG and dextran phases, target transfer of cellulose nanoparticles occurs across the water/water interface to reassemble into a liquid crystal-in-liquid crystal emulsion with global cholesteric organization. The observed structural, optical, and temporal evolution confirm that the colloidal particles in the two immiscible phases experience short-range interactions and form long-range assemblies across the interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Bai
- Key Laboratory of Bio-based Material Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Material Science and Engineering, Northeast Forestry University, Hexing Road 26, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150040, P.R. China
- Bioproducts Institute, Departments of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Chemistry, and Wood Science, The University of British Columbia, 2360 East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Siqi Huan
- Key Laboratory of Bio-based Material Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Material Science and Engineering, Northeast Forestry University, Hexing Road 26, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150040, P.R. China
- Bioproducts Institute, Departments of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Chemistry, and Wood Science, The University of British Columbia, 2360 East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Bin Zhao
- Bio-based Colloids and Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, FI-00076 Aalto, Espoo, Finland
| | - Ya Zhu
- Bio-based Colloids and Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, FI-00076 Aalto, Espoo, Finland
| | - Jordi Esquena
- Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia, Spanish National Research Council (IQAC-CSIC) and Networking Research Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Barcelona 08034, Spain
| | - Feng Chen
- Bio-based Colloids and Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, FI-00076 Aalto, Espoo, Finland
| | - Guang Gao
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Science Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Eyal Zussman
- NanoEngineering Group, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Guang Chu
- Bio-based Colloids and Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, FI-00076 Aalto, Espoo, Finland
| | - Orlando J Rojas
- Bioproducts Institute, Departments of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Chemistry, and Wood Science, The University of British Columbia, 2360 East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
- Bio-based Colloids and Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, FI-00076 Aalto, Espoo, Finland
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Chu G, Vasilyev G, Qu D, Deng S, Bai L, Rojas OJ, Zussman E. Structural Arrest and Phase Transition in Glassy Nanocellulose Colloids. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2020; 36:979-985. [PMID: 31927969 PMCID: PMC7704027 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b03570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 12/22/2019] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
From drying blood to oil paint, the developing of a glassy phase from colloids is observed on a daily basis. Colloidal glass is solid soft matter that consists of two intertwined phases: a random packed particle network and a fluid solvent. By dispersing charged rod-like cellulose nanoparticles into a water-ethylene glycol cosolvent, here we demonstrate a new kind of colloidal glass with a high liquid crystalline order, namely, two general superstructures with nematic and cholesteric packing states are preserved and jammed inside the glass matrix. During the glass formation process, structural arrest and phase transition occur simultaneously at high particle concentrations, yielding solid-like behavior as well as a frozen liquid crystal texture that is because of caging of the charged colloids through neighboring long-ranged repulsive interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang Chu
- NanoEngineering
Group, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
- Bio-Based
Colloids and Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems,
School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, Espoo FI-00076, Aalto, Finland
| | - Gleb Vasilyev
- NanoEngineering
Group, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Dan Qu
- NanoEngineering
Group, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Shengwei Deng
- College
of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University
of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Long Bai
- Bio-Based
Colloids and Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems,
School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, Espoo FI-00076, Aalto, Finland
| | - Orlando J. Rojas
- Bio-Based
Colloids and Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems,
School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, Espoo FI-00076, Aalto, Finland
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chemistry and Wood Science, University of British Columbia, 2360 East Mall, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Eyal Zussman
- NanoEngineering
Group, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
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Chu G, Qu D, Camposeo A, Pisignano D, Zussman E. When nanocellulose meets diffraction grating: freestanding photonic paper with programmable optical coupling. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2020; 7:511-519. [PMID: 32774862 PMCID: PMC7362743 DOI: 10.1039/c9mh01485c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Photonic crystals based on plasmonic or dielectric periodic structures have attracted considerable interest owing to their capabilities to control light-matter interactions with tailored precision. By using a nanocellulose derived chiral liquid crystal as a building block, here we demonstrate a bio-inspired dual photonic structure that contains the combination of microscopic periodic 1D surface grating and nanoscopic helical organization, giving rise to programmable colour mixing and polarization rotation. We show that a variation in the photonic band-gap in the bulk matrix leads to simultaneous control over the reflection and diffraction of light with controllable iridescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang Chu
- NanoEngineering Group , Faculty of Mechanical Engineering , Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 3200003 , Israel .
- Bio-based Colloids and Materials , Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems , School of Chemical Engineering , Aalto University , P.O. Box 16300 , FI-00076 Aalto , Espoo , Finland
| | - Dan Qu
- NanoEngineering Group , Faculty of Mechanical Engineering , Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 3200003 , Israel .
| | - Andrea Camposeo
- NEST , Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR , Piazza S. Silvestro 12 , I-56127 Pisa , Italy .
| | - Dario Pisignano
- NEST , Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR , Piazza S. Silvestro 12 , I-56127 Pisa , Italy .
- Dipartimento di Fisica , Università di Pisa , Largo B. Pontecorvo 3 , I-56127 Pisa , Italy .
| | - Eyal Zussman
- NanoEngineering Group , Faculty of Mechanical Engineering , Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 3200003 , Israel .
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Chu G, Vasilyev G, Vilensky R, Boaz M, Zhang R, Martin P, Dahan N, Deng S, Zussman E. Controlled Assembly of Nanocellulose-Stabilized Emulsions with Periodic Liquid Crystal-in-Liquid Crystal Organization. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2018; 34:13263-13273. [PMID: 30350695 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b02163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Colloidal particles combined with a polymer can be used to stabilize an oil-water interface forming stable emulsions. Here, we described a novel liquid crystal (LC)-in-LC emulsion composed of a nematic oil phase and a cholesteric or nematic aqueous cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) continuous phase. The guest oil droplets were stabilized and suspended in liquid-crystalline CNCs, inducing distortions and topological defects inside the host LC phase. These emulsions exhibited anisotropic interactions between the two LCs that depended on the diameter-to-pitch ratio of suspended guest droplets and the host CNC cholesteric phase. When the ratio was high, oil droplets were embedded into a cholesteric shell with a concentric packing of CNC layers and took on a radial orientation of the helical axis. Otherwise, discrete surface-trapped LC droplet assemblies with long-range ordering were obtained, mimicking the fingerprint configuration of the cholesteric phase. Thus, the LC-in-LC emulsions presented here define a new class of ordered soft matter in which both nematic and cholesteric LC ordering can be well-manipulated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Shengwei Deng
- College of Chemical Engineering , Zhejiang University of Technology , Hangzhou 310014 , China
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7
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Chu G, Vilensky R, Vasilyev G, Martin P, Zhang R, Zussman E. Structure Evolution and Drying Dynamics in Sliding Cholesteric Cellulose Nanocrystals. J Phys Chem Lett 2018; 9:1845-1851. [PMID: 29584431 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.8b00670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The study of colloidal liquid crystals (LCs) reveals fundamental insights into the nature of ordered materials, giving rise to emergent properties with fascinating applications in soft matter nanotechnology. Here we investigate the shape instabilities, layer undulations, dynamic assembly, and collective behaviors in evaporating a cellulose nanocrystal-based cholesteric LC drop. During the drying process, the drop edges are pinned to the substrate with spontaneous convective flow occurring along the drop, which leads to nonequilibrium sliding of the individual cholesteric fragment with active ordering as well as hydrodynamic fluctuations and flow transitions in the bulk cholesteric phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang Chu
- NanoEngineering Group, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering , Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 32000 , Israel
| | - Rita Vilensky
- NanoEngineering Group, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering , Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 32000 , Israel
| | - Gleb Vasilyev
- NanoEngineering Group, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering , Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 32000 , Israel
| | - Patrick Martin
- NanoEngineering Group, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering , Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 32000 , Israel
| | - Ruiyan Zhang
- NanoEngineering Group, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering , Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 32000 , Israel
| | - Eyal Zussman
- NanoEngineering Group, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering , Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 32000 , Israel
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