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Pani I, Sil S, Kaur R, Devi M, Pal SK. Dynamic Microparticle Assembly at the Interface of Chemoresponsive Liquid Crystal Droplets. Anal Chem 2024; 96:3780-3786. [PMID: 38407028 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c04555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
The confinement of liquid crystals (LCs) in spherical microdroplets results in exotic internal configurations and topological defects in response to physical and chemical stimuli. Recent exploration into the placement of colloids on the surface of LC microdroplets has led to the design of a new class of functional materials with patterned surface properties. It is established that the placement of a colloid on a LC droplet surface can pin the topological defect at the interface, thereby restricting changes in the LC configuration. Herein, we build upon the handful of reports published to provide a fundamental understanding of the colloid positioning in response to external stimuli. Using polystyrene (PS) colloids, we explored the dynamics of particle self-assembly in response to an interfacial enzymatic breakdown of poly-l-lysine by trypsin. We found that for a significant population of droplets, the positioning of the colloid is unaffected by the changes in the internal ordering of LC. Inspired by the new observations, we delved deeper to understand the role of interfacial stabilizers in modulating the preferential alignment of LC and the placement of colloidal microparticles. We also demonstrated that for a certain population of droplets, the positioning of the colloids remains unperturbed in response to multistep reversible adsorption of interfacial amphiphiles. Our findings reveal interesting possibilities of correlating the stimuli-responsive switching of internal configurations of LC with colloid placement on the particle-decorated LC droplets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ipsita Pani
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Punjab 140306, India
| | - Soma Sil
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Punjab 140306, India
| | - Rajwant Kaur
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Punjab 140306, India
| | - Manisha Devi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Punjab 140306, India
| | - Santanu Kumar Pal
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Punjab 140306, India
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2
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Naveenkumar PM, Maheshwari H, Gundabala V, Mann S, Sharma KP. Patterning of Protein-Sequestered Liquid-Crystal Droplets Using Acoustic Wave Trapping. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:871-881. [PMID: 38131278 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c03031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Development of spatially organized structures and understanding their role in controlling kinetics of multistep chemical reactions are essential for the successful design of efficient systems and devices. While studies that showcase different types of methodologies for the spatial organization of various colloidal systems are known, design and development of well-defined hierarchical assemblies of liquid-crystal (LC) droplets and subsequent demonstration of biological reactions using such assemblies still remain elusive. Here, we show reversible and reconfigurable one-dimensional (1D) assemblies of protein-bioconjugate-sequestered monodisperse LC droplets by combining microfluidics with noninvasive acoustic wave trapping technology. Tunable spatial geometries and lattice dimensions can be achieved in an aqueous medium comprising ≈19 or 62 μm LC droplets. Different assemblies of a mixed population of larger and smaller droplets sequestered with glucose oxidase (GOx) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP), respectively, exhibit spatially localized enzyme kinetics with higher initial rates of reaction compared with GOx/HRP cascades implemented in the absence of an acoustic field. This can be attributed to the direct substrate transfer/channeling between the two complementary enzymes in close proximity. Therefore, our study provides an initial step toward the fabrication of LC-based devices for biosensing applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Harsha Maheshwari
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Venkat Gundabala
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Stephen Mann
- Centre for Organized Matter Chemistry, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, BS8 1TS Bristol, U.K
| | - Kamendra P Sharma
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
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3
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Zhang G, Zhao W, Liu W, Zhou J, Wu Z. A Cytidine-Modified surfactant anchored liquid crystal Droplet-Based sensor for rapid and accurate detection of silver ions. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 650:58-66. [PMID: 37392500 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.06.111] [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: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystal (LC) droplets exhibit unique and sensitive response behaviors to surface absorptions, making them promising candidates for sensing aplications. Here, we have developed a label-free, portable, and cost-effective sensor for the specific and rapid detection of silver ions (Ag+) in drinking-water samples. To achieve this, we have modified cytidine into a surfactant (denoted as C10-M-C) and anchored it onto the surface of LC droplets. The specific binding ability between cytidine and Ag+ enables LC droplets anchored with C10-M-C to respond rapidly and specifically to Ag+ ions. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the response meets requirements for the harmless concentration of Ag+ in drinking-water. The sensor we developed is label-free, portable, and cost-effectively. We believe that the sensor reported here can be applied to the detection of Ag+ in drinking-water and environmental samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guannan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-sensing and Chemo-metrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenting Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-sensing and Chemo-metrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenzhao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-sensing and Chemo-metrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-sensing and Chemo-metrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaoyang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-sensing and Chemo-metrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, People's Republic of China.
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4
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Stabilizing liquid crystal droplets with hydrogel films and its application in monitoring adenosine triphosphate. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2022.130122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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5
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Kumari A, Singh H, Dhawan S, Bhardwaj SK, Haridas V, Sinha A. Liquid crystal droplet design by using pseudopeptidic bottlebrush polymer additives. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:7838-7849. [PMID: 36200443 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00953f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystal (LC) droplets are promising candidates for sensing applications due to their high sensitivity to surface anchoring changes, resulting in readily detectable optical effects. Herein, we have designed and synthesized amino acid-based bottlebrush polymers and investigated their impact on LC director configurations in the droplets. The pseudopeptidic bottlebrush polymers with an aromatic (phenyl) and aliphatic appendages are synthesized using ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). Polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) samples are prepared by employing pseudopeptidic bottlebrush polymers and 4-cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl (5CB) LC via solvent-induced phase separation (SIPS) technique. Due to π-π stacking, the phenyl group favours radial configuration, whereas the repulsion between 5CB and aliphatic groups induces molecular alignment leading to bipolar droplet arrangement. The impact of various pendant groups attached to the polymer on the prepared PDLC sample's surface characteristics and free energy components is illustrated. The sensing capability of 5CB dispersed in pseudopeptidic bottlebrush polymers for various pH solutions is investigated using polarizing optical microscopy (POM). The PDLC samples are moderately permeable to water and sensitive to different pH solutions. The results demonstrate a simplified and straightforward approach for preparing LC-based biosensors and chemical sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asha Kumari
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India.
| | - Hanuman Singh
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India.
| | - Sameer Dhawan
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India.
| | - Surya Kant Bhardwaj
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India.
| | - V Haridas
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India.
| | - Aloka Sinha
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India.
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6
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Liquid Crystal Droplet-Based Biosensors: Promising for Point-of-Care Testing. BIOSENSORS 2022; 12:bios12090758. [PMID: 36140143 PMCID: PMC9496589 DOI: 10.3390/bios12090758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The development of biosensing platforms has been impressively accelerated by advancements in liquid crystal (LC) technology. High response rate, easy operation, and good stability of the LC droplet-based biosensors are all benefits of the long-range order of LC molecules. Bioprobes emerged when LC droplets were combined with biotechnology, and these bioprobes are used extensively for disease diagnosis, food safety, and environmental monitoring. The LC droplet biosensors have high sensitivity and excellent selectivity, making them an attractive tool for the label-free, economical, and real-time detection of different targets. Portable devices work well as the accessory kits for LC droplet-based biosensors to make them easier to use by anyone for on-site monitoring of targets. Herein, we offer a review of the latest developments in the design of LC droplet-based biosensors for qualitative target monitoring and quantitative target analysis.
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7
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Label-free optical sensor based on liquid crystal sessile droplet array for penicillin G determination. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2022.128728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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8
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Pal SK, Pani I, Nailwal Y, Dutta S. Tailoring Liquid Crystals as Vehicles for Encapsulation and Enzyme-Triggered Release. J Mater Chem B 2022; 10:3032-3038. [DOI: 10.1039/d2tb00098a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Nanoscale assemblies of amphiphiles have been vividly explored in pharmaceutical formulations as drug nanocarriers. Aqueous interfaces of liquid crystals (LCs) are known to direct the self-assembly of a range of...
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Abstract
Smart soft materials are envisioned to be the building blocks of the next generation of advanced devices and digitally augmented technologies. In this context, liquid crystals (LCs) owing to their responsive and adaptive attributes could serve as promising smart soft materials. LCs played a critical role in revolutionizing the information display industry in the 20th century. However, in the turn of the 21st century, numerous beyond-display applications of LCs have been demonstrated, which elegantly exploit their controllable stimuli-responsive and adaptive characteristics. For these applications, new LC materials have been rationally designed and developed. In this Review, we present the recent developments in light driven chiral LCs, i.e., cholesteric and blue phases, LC based smart windows that control the entrance of heat and light from outdoor to the interior of buildings and built environments depending on the weather conditions, LC elastomers for bioinspired, biological, and actuator applications, LC based biosensors for detection of proteins, nucleic acids, and viruses, LC based porous membranes for the separation of ions, molecules, and microbes, living LCs, and LCs under macro- and nanoscopic confinement. The Review concludes with a summary and perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for LCs as smart soft materials. This Review is anticipated to stimulate eclectic ideas toward the implementation of the nature's delicate phase of matter in future generations of smart and augmented devices and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hari Krishna Bisoyi
- Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute and Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, United States
| | - Quan Li
- Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute and Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, United States.,Institute of Advanced Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and Jiangsu Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
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10
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Nandi R, Jain V, Devi M, Gupta T, Pal SK. Hydrogen bond assisted anchoring transitions in nematic liquid crystals at the aqueous interface. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2021.126952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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11
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Zheng M, Pan M, Zhang W, Lin H, Wu S, Lu C, Tang S, Liu D, Cai J. Poly(α-l-lysine)-based nanomaterials for versatile biomedical applications: Current advances and perspectives. Bioact Mater 2021; 6:1878-1909. [PMID: 33364529 PMCID: PMC7744653 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2020.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Poly(α-l-lysine) (PLL) is a class of water-soluble, cationic biopolymer composed of α-l-lysine structural units. The previous decade witnessed tremendous progress in the synthesis and biomedical applications of PLL and its composites. PLL-based polymers and copolymers, till date, have been extensively explored in the contexts such as antibacterial agents, gene/drug/protein delivery systems, bio-sensing, bio-imaging, and tissue engineering. This review aims to summarize the recent advances in PLL-based nanomaterials in these biomedical fields over the last decade. The review first describes the synthesis of PLL and its derivatives, followed by the main text of their recent biomedical applications and translational studies. Finally, the challenges and perspectives of PLL-based nanomaterials in biomedical fields are addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maochao Zheng
- Shantou University Medical College, 22 Xinling Road, Shantou, 515041, China
| | - Miao Pan
- Shantou University Medical College, 22 Xinling Road, Shantou, 515041, China
| | - Wancong Zhang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, 69 Dongxiabei Road, Shantou, 515041, China
| | - Huanchang Lin
- Shantou University Medical College, 22 Xinling Road, Shantou, 515041, China
| | - Shenlang Wu
- Shantou University Medical College, 22 Xinling Road, Shantou, 515041, China
| | - Chao Lu
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 511443, China
| | - Shijie Tang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, 69 Dongxiabei Road, Shantou, 515041, China
| | - Daojun Liu
- Shantou University Medical College, 22 Xinling Road, Shantou, 515041, China
| | - Jianfeng Cai
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA
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12
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Wang J, Pinkse PWH, Segerink LI, Eijkel JCT. Bottom-Up Assembled Photonic Crystals for Structure-Enabled Label-Free Sensing. ACS NANO 2021; 15:9299-9327. [PMID: 34028246 PMCID: PMC8291770 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c02495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Photonic crystals (PhCs) display photonic stop bands (PSBs) and at the edges of these PSBs transport light with reduced velocity, enabling the PhCs to confine and manipulate incident light with enhanced light-matter interaction. Intense research has been devoted to leveraging the optical properties of PhCs for the development of optical sensors for bioassays, diagnosis, and environmental monitoring. These applications have furthermore benefited from the inherently large surface area of PhCs, giving rise to high analyte adsorption and the wide range of options for structural variations of the PhCs leading to enhanced light-matter interaction. Here, we focus on bottom-up assembled PhCs and review the significant advances that have been made in their use as label-free sensors. We describe their potential for point-of-care devices and in the review include their structural design, constituent materials, fabrication strategy, and sensing working principles. We thereby classify them according to five sensing principles: sensing of refractive index variations, sensing by lattice spacing variations, enhanced fluorescence spectroscopy, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, and configuration transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Wang
- BIOS
Lab on a Chip Group, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, Technical
Medical Centre & Max Planck Center for Complex Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Pepijn W. H. Pinkse
- Complex
Photonic Systems Group, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Loes I. Segerink
- BIOS
Lab on a Chip Group, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, Technical
Medical Centre & Max Planck Center for Complex Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Jan C. T. Eijkel
- BIOS
Lab on a Chip Group, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, Technical
Medical Centre & Max Planck Center for Complex Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands
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13
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Pani I, K M FN, Sharma M, Pal SK. Probing Nanoscale Lipid-Protein Interactions at the Interface of Liquid Crystal Droplets. NANO LETTERS 2021; 21:4546-4553. [PMID: 34048245 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c05139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Aqueous interfaces of liquid crystals (LCs) are widely explored in the design of functional interfaces to recapitulate the key aspects of biomolecular interactions in cellular milieu. Herein, using aqueous LC dispersions, we explore the interactions between mitochondrial cardiolipin and membrane-associated cytochrome c which play a pivotal role in the apoptotic signaling cascade. Conventional techniques used to decipher LC ordering at the droplet interface fail to give information about the interactions at a molecular level. Besides, owing to the complexity of LC systems and multiple determinants driving the LC reorientation, accurate analysis of the underlying mechanism responsible for the LC ordering transition remains challenging. Using a combination of atomistic simulations and microscopic and spectroscopic readouts, for the first time, we unveil the lipid-protein interactions that drive the reorientation at the LC droplet interface. The insights from our work are fundamental to the design of these interfaces for a spectrum of interfacial applications.
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14
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Wang Z, Xu T, Noel A, Chen YC, Liu T. Applications of liquid crystals in biosensing. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:4675-4702. [PMID: 33978639 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm02088e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystals (LCs), as a promising branch of highly-sensitive, quick-response, and low-cost materials, are widely applied to the detection of weak external stimuli and have attracted significant attention. Over the past decade, many research groups have been devoted to developing LC-based biosensors due to their self-assembly potential and functional diversity. In this paper, recent investigations on the design and application of LC-based biosensors are reviewed, based on the phenomenon that the orientation of LCs can be directly influenced by the interactions between biomolecules and LC molecules. The sensing principle of LC-based biosensors, as well as their signal detection by probing interfacial interactions, is described to convert, amplify, and quantify the information from targets into optical and electrical parameters. Furthermore, commonly-used LC biosensing targets are introduced, including glucose, proteins, enzymes, nucleic acids, cells, microorganisms, ions, and other micromolecules that are critical to human health. Due to their self-assembly potential, chemical diversity, and high sensitivity, it has been reported that tunable stimuli-responsive LC biosensors show bright perspectives and high superiorities in biological applications. Finally, challenges and future prospects are discussed for the fabrication and application of LC biosensors to both enhance their performance and to realize their promise in the biosensing industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyihui Wang
- School of Precision Instrument and Opto-Electronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.
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15
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Damberga D, Fedorenko V, Grundšteins K, Altundal Ş, Šutka A, Ramanavičius A, Coy E, Mrówczyński R, Iatsunskyi I, Viter R. Influence of PDA Coating on the Structural, Optical and Surface Properties of ZnO Nanostructures. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2020; 10:E2438. [PMID: 33291264 PMCID: PMC7762110 DOI: 10.3390/nano10122438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Polydopamine (PDA) is a new biocompatible material, which has prospects in biomedical and sensor applications. Due to functional groups, it can host wide range of biomolecules. ZnO nanostructures are well known templates for optical sensors and biosensors. The combination of ZnO and PDA results in a change of optical properties of ZnO-PDA composites as a shift of photoluminescence (PL) peaks and PL quenching. However, to date, the effect of the PDA layer on fundamental properties of ZnO-PDA nanostructures has not been studied. The presented paper reports on optical and surface properties of novel ZnO-PDA nanocomposites. PDA layers were chemically synthesized on ZnO nanostructures from different solution concentrations of 0.3, 0.4, 0.5 and 0.7 mg/mL. Structure, electronic and optical properties were studied by SEM, Raman, FTIR, diffuse reflectance and photoluminescence methods. The Z-potential of the samples was evaluated in neutral pH (pH = 7.2). The response of the samples towards poly-l-lysine adsorption, as a model molecule, was studied by PL spectroscopy to evaluate the correlation between optical and surface properties. The role of the PDA concentration on fundamental properties was discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daina Damberga
- Institute of Atomic Physics and Spectroscopy, University of Latvia, Jelgavas 3, LV-1004 Riga, Latvia; (D.D.); (V.F.); (K.G.); (Ş.A.); (A.Š.); (A.R.)
| | - Viktoriia Fedorenko
- Institute of Atomic Physics and Spectroscopy, University of Latvia, Jelgavas 3, LV-1004 Riga, Latvia; (D.D.); (V.F.); (K.G.); (Ş.A.); (A.Š.); (A.R.)
| | - Kārlis Grundšteins
- Institute of Atomic Physics and Spectroscopy, University of Latvia, Jelgavas 3, LV-1004 Riga, Latvia; (D.D.); (V.F.); (K.G.); (Ş.A.); (A.Š.); (A.R.)
| | - Şahin Altundal
- Institute of Atomic Physics and Spectroscopy, University of Latvia, Jelgavas 3, LV-1004 Riga, Latvia; (D.D.); (V.F.); (K.G.); (Ş.A.); (A.Š.); (A.R.)
| | - Andris Šutka
- Institute of Atomic Physics and Spectroscopy, University of Latvia, Jelgavas 3, LV-1004 Riga, Latvia; (D.D.); (V.F.); (K.G.); (Ş.A.); (A.Š.); (A.R.)
- Research Laboratory of Functional Materials Technologies, Faculty of Materials Science and Applied Chemistry, Riga Technical University, Paula Valdena 3/7, LV-1048 Riga, Latvia
| | - Arunas Ramanavičius
- Institute of Atomic Physics and Spectroscopy, University of Latvia, Jelgavas 3, LV-1004 Riga, Latvia; (D.D.); (V.F.); (K.G.); (Ş.A.); (A.Š.); (A.R.)
- Laboratory of Nanotechnology, State Research Institute Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Sauletekio ave.3, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Emerson Coy
- NanoBioMedical Centre, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Wszechnicy Piastowskiej 3, 61-614 Poznan, Poland; (E.C.); (R.M.)
| | - Radosław Mrówczyński
- NanoBioMedical Centre, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Wszechnicy Piastowskiej 3, 61-614 Poznan, Poland; (E.C.); (R.M.)
| | - Igor Iatsunskyi
- NanoBioMedical Centre, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Wszechnicy Piastowskiej 3, 61-614 Poznan, Poland; (E.C.); (R.M.)
| | - Roman Viter
- Institute of Atomic Physics and Spectroscopy, University of Latvia, Jelgavas 3, LV-1004 Riga, Latvia; (D.D.); (V.F.); (K.G.); (Ş.A.); (A.Š.); (A.R.)
- Center for Collective Use of Scientific Equipment, Sumy State University, 31, Sanatornaya st., 40018 Sumy, Ukraine
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16
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Dan A, Aery S, Zhang S, Baker DL, Gleeson HF, Sarkar A. Protein Microgel-Stabilized Pickering Liquid Crystal Emulsions Undergo Analyte-Triggered Configurational Transition. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2020; 36:10091-10102. [PMID: 32787024 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c01345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Herein, we report a novel approach that involves Pickering stabilization of micometer-sized liquid crystal (LC) droplets with biocompatible soft materials such as a whey protein microgel (WPM) to facilitate the analysis of analyte-induced configurational transition of the LC droplets. The WPM particles were able to irreversibly adsorb at the LC-water interface, and the resulting WPM-stabilized LC droplets possessed a remarkable stability against coalescence over time. Although the LC droplets were successfully protected by a continuous network of the WPM layer, the LC-water interface was still accessible for small molecules such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) that could diffuse through the meshes of the adsorbed WPM network or through the interfacial pores and induce an LC response. This approach was exploited to investigate the dynamic range of the WPM-stabilized LC droplet response to SDS. Nevertheless, the presence of the unadsorbed WPM in the aqueous medium reduced the access of SDS molecules to the LC droplets, thus suppressing the configuration transition. An improved LC response to SDS with a lower detection limit was achieved after washing off the unadsorbed WPM. Interestingly, the LC exhibited a detection limit as low as ∼0.85 mM for SDS within the initial WPM concentration ranging from 0.005 to 0.1 wt %. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the dose-response behavior was strongly influenced by the number of droplets exposed to the aqueous analytes and the type of surfactants such as anionic SDS, cationic dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB), and nonionic tetra(ethylene glycol)monododecyl ether (C12E4). Thus, our results address key issues associated with the quantification of aqueous analytes and provide a promising colloidal platform toward the development of new classes of biocompatible LC droplet-based optical sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhijit Dan
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Advanced Studies in Chemistry, Panjab University - Chandigarh, Sector 14, Chandigarh 160014, India
| | - Shikha Aery
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Advanced Studies in Chemistry, Panjab University - Chandigarh, Sector 14, Chandigarh 160014, India
| | - Shuning Zhang
- Food Colloids and Bioprocessing Group, School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Daniel L Baker
- Soft Matter Physics Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Helen F Gleeson
- Soft Matter Physics Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Anwesha Sarkar
- Food Colloids and Bioprocessing Group, School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
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17
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Wang Z, Zhang Y, Gong X, Yuan Z, Feng S, Xu T, Liu T, Chen YC. Bio-electrostatic sensitive droplet lasers for molecular detection. NANOSCALE ADVANCES 2020; 2:2713-2719. [PMID: 36132400 PMCID: PMC9418021 DOI: 10.1039/d0na00107d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Electrostatics plays a critical function in most biomolecules, therefore monitoring molecular electrostatic interactions at the biointerface can provide the basis in diagnosis and biomedical science. Herein we report a bioelectrostatic responsive microlaser based on liquid crystal (LC) droplets and explored its application for the ultrasensitive detection of negatively charged biomolecules. A whispering gallery mode (WGM) laser from positively charged LC microdroplets was designed as the optical resonator, in which the lasing wavelength shift was employed as the sensing parameter. We verified that molecular electrostatic changes at the biointerface of the droplet trigger a wavelength shift in laser spectra. Compared to a conventional polarized optical microscope, a significantly improved sensitivity and dynamic range by four orders of magnitude were achieved. Our results helped discover that the surface-to-volume ratio plays a critical role in the detection sensitivity in WGM laser-based microsensors. Finally, bovine serum albumin and specific biosensing were exploited to demonstrate the potential applications of microlasers with a detection limit in the order of 1 pM, thus offering new alternatives for ultrasensitive label-free biosensing and monitoring of molecular interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyihui Wang
- School of Precision Instrument and Opto-Electronics, Tianjin University Tianjin 300072 China
| | - Yifan Zhang
- School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Nanyang Technological University 639798 Singapore
| | - Xuerui Gong
- School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Nanyang Technological University 639798 Singapore
| | - Zhiyi Yuan
- School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Nanyang Technological University 639798 Singapore
| | - Shilun Feng
- School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Nanyang Technological University 639798 Singapore
| | - Tianhua Xu
- School of Precision Instrument and Opto-Electronics, Tianjin University Tianjin 300072 China
| | - Tiegen Liu
- School of Precision Instrument and Opto-Electronics, Tianjin University Tianjin 300072 China
| | - Yu-Cheng Chen
- School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Nanyang Technological University 639798 Singapore
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University 639798 Singapore
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18
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Paterson DA, Bao P, Abou-Saleh RH, Peyman SA, Jones JC, Sandoe JAT, Evans SD, Gleeson HF, Bushby RJ. Control of Director Fields in Phospholipid-Coated Liquid Crystal Droplets. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2020; 36:6436-6446. [PMID: 32392071 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c00651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In liquid crystal (LC) droplets, small changes in surface anchoring energy can produce large changes in the director field which result in readily detectable optical effects. This makes them attractive for use as biosensors. Coating LC droplets with a phospholipid monolayer provides a bridge between the hydrophobic world of LCs and the water-based world of biology and makes it possible to incorporate naturally occurring biosensor systems. However, phospholipids promote strong perpendicular (homeotropic) anchoring that can inhibit switching of the director field. We show that the tendency for phospholipid layers to promote perpendicular anchoring can be suppressed by using synthetic phospholipids in which the acyl chains are terminated with bulky tert-butyl or ferrocenyl groups; the larger these end-group(s), the less likely the system is to be perpendicular/radial. Additionally, the droplet director field is found to be dependent on the nature of the LC, particularly its intrinsic surface properties, but not (apparently) on the sign of the dielectric anisotropy, the proximity to the melting/isotropic phase transition, the surface tension (in air), or the values of the Frank elastic constants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Paterson
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Peng Bao
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Radwa H Abou-Saleh
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
- Biophysics Group, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Sally A Peyman
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
- School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - J Cliff Jones
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Jonathan A T Sandoe
- Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Stephen D Evans
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Helen F Gleeson
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
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19
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Verma I, Devi M, Sharma D, Nandi R, Pal SK. Liquid Crystal based Detection of Pb(II) Ions Using Spinach RNA as Recognition Probe. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2019; 35:7816-7823. [PMID: 31117720 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b04018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
We report a new method for label-free, sensitive, and facile detection of lead(II) ions (Pb2+) based on an aptamer-target binding event, which is recognized by orientations of liquid crystals (LCs) at aqueous interfaces. The LC film suspended in the aqueous phase demonstrated a homeotropic orientation in contact with a cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) due to self-assembly of CTAB molecules at the aqueous-LC interface. The ordering of LC subsequently changed to planar in the presence of the spinach RNA aptamer (SRNA) due to interactions between CTAB and SRNA. In the presence of the Pb2+ ion, the ordering of LC changed to homeotropic caused by reorganization of CTAB at the LC-aqueous interface. This is due to formation of more stable quadruplex structures of SRNA with Pb2+ ions in comparison to the CTAB-SRNA complex. The sensor exhibited a detection limit of 3 nM, which is well below the permissible limit of Pb2+ in drinking water. Our experiments establish that addition of Pb2+ leads to (i) the formation of Pb2+-SRNA complexes and (ii) a decrease in density of SRNA on the LC interface, but additional studies are required to determine which of these processes underlie the response of the LCs to the Pb2+. We have also demonstrated the potential application of the LC sensor for detection of Pb2+ in tap water. Unlike current laboratory-based heavy-metal-ion assays, this method is comparatively simple in terms of instrumentation, operation, and optical readout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indu Verma
- Department of Chemical Sciences , Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali (IISERM) , Knowledge City, Sector-81 , SAS Nagar, Mohali 140306 , India
| | - Manisha Devi
- Department of Chemical Sciences , Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali (IISERM) , Knowledge City, Sector-81 , SAS Nagar, Mohali 140306 , India
| | - Diksha Sharma
- Department of Chemical Sciences , Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali (IISERM) , Knowledge City, Sector-81 , SAS Nagar, Mohali 140306 , India
| | - Rajib Nandi
- Department of Chemical Sciences , Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali (IISERM) , Knowledge City, Sector-81 , SAS Nagar, Mohali 140306 , India
| | - Santanu Kumar Pal
- Department of Chemical Sciences , Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali (IISERM) , Knowledge City, Sector-81 , SAS Nagar, Mohali 140306 , India
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20
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Influence of polymer networks on the sensor properties of hydrogel dispersed liquid crystal droplets. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2019.03.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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21
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Zhou L, Hu Q, Kang Q, Fang M, Yu L. Construction of a Liquid Crystal-Based Sensing Platform for Sensitive and Selective Detection of l-Phenylalanine Based on Alkaline Phosphatase. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2019; 35:461-467. [PMID: 30576146 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b03682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The detection of l-phenylalanine (l-Phe) has become one of the most pressing issues concerning diagnosis and treatment of phenylketonuria in neonates; however, a simple and robust methodology is yet to be developed. Here, the application of novel liquid crystals (LCs)-sensing platform for sensitive, selective, and label-free detection of l-Phe was reported at the first time. We devised a strategy to fabricate the sodium monododecyl phosphate (SMP)-decorated LC sensing platform with the appearance of dark. Then, a dark to bright (D-B) optical images alteration of LCs was observed after transferring alkaline phosphatase (ALP) to the interface, owing to cleavage of SMP induced by ALP. LCs remained dark images after the SMP-decorated interface in contact with the pre-incubated ALP and l-Phe. Such optical appearance resulted from the inhibition of ALP by l-Phe, which was further verified by the isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). The strategy was applied to sensing l-Phe, which have been proven to allow for sensitively and selectively differentiation of l-Phe from interfering compounds with similar aromatic groups, as well as seven other essential amino acids. More importantly, the detection limit of l-Phe reached 1 pg/mL in urine samples, further demonstrating its value in the practical applications. Results obtained in this study clearly demonstrated the superiority of LCs toward the l-Phe detection, which can pave a way for the development of high performance and robust probes for l-Phe detection in clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lele Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry, Ministry of Education , Shandong University , Jinan 250100 , P.R. China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Qufu Normal University , Qufu 273165 , P.R. China
| | - Qiongzheng Hu
- Department of Chemistry , University of Houston , Houston , Texas 77204 , United States
| | - Qi Kang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science , Shandong Normal University , Jinan 250014 , P. R. China
| | - Ming Fang
- Department of Chemistry , University of Houston , Houston , Texas 77204 , United States
| | - Li Yu
- Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry, Ministry of Education , Shandong University , Jinan 250100 , P.R. China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Qufu Normal University , Qufu 273165 , P.R. China
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22
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Nandi R, Loitongbam L, De J, Jain V, Pal SK. Gold nanoparticle-mediated signal amplification of liquid crystal biosensors for dopamine. Analyst 2019; 144:1110-1114. [DOI: 10.1039/c8an02171f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
A new design was developed for detection of dopamine using a boronic acid based amphiphile at aqueous–liquid crystal interface. The detection was highly enhanced in presence of gold nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajib Nandi
- Department of Chemical Sciences
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali
- Manauli-140306
- India
| | - Lisha Loitongbam
- Department of Chemical Sciences
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali
- Manauli-140306
- India
| | - Joydip De
- Department of Chemical Sciences
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali
- Manauli-140306
- India
| | - Varsha Jain
- Department of Chemical Sciences
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali
- Manauli-140306
- India
| | - Santanu Kumar Pal
- Department of Chemical Sciences
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali
- Manauli-140306
- India
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23
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Kim YK, Raghupathi KR, Pendery JS, Khomein P, Sridhar U, de Pablo JJ, Thayumanavan S, Abbott NL. Oligomers as Triggers for Responsive Liquid Crystals. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2018; 34:10092-10101. [PMID: 30064213 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b01944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We report an investigation of the influence of aqueous solutions of amphiphilic oligomers on the ordering of micrometer-thick films of thermotropic liquid crystals (LCs), thus addressing the gap in knowledge arising from previous studies of the interactions of monomeric and polymeric amphiphiles with LCs. Specifically, we synthesized amphiphilic oligomers (with decyl hydrophobic and pentaethylene glycol hydrophilic domains) in monomer, dimer, and trimer forms, and incubated aqueous solutions of the oligomers against nematic films of 4'-pentyl-4-biphenylcarbonitrile (5CB). All amphiphilic oligomers caused sequential surface-driven orientational (planar to homeotropic) and then bulk phase transitions (nematic to isotropic) with dynamics depending strongly on the degree of oligomerization. The dynamics of the orientational transitions accelerated from monomer to trimer, consistent with the effects of an increase in adsorption free energy. The mechanism underlying the orientational transition, however, involved a decrease in anchoring energy and not change in the easy axis of the LC. In contrast, the rate of the phase transition induced by absorption of oligomers into the LC decreased from monomer to trimer, suggesting that constraints on configurational degrees of freedom influence the absorption free energies of the oligomers. Interestingly, the oligomer-induced transition from the nematic to isotropic phase of 5CB was observed to nucleate at the aqueous-5CB interface, consistent with surface-induced disorder underlying the above-reported decrease in anchoring energy caused by the oligomers. Finally, we provided proof-of-concept experiments of the triggering of LCs using a trimeric amphiphile that is photocleaved by UV illumination into monomeric fragments. Overall, our results provide insight into the rational design of oligomers that can be used as triggers to create responsive LCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young-Ki Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering , University of Wisconsin-Madison , 1415 Engineering Drive , Madison , Wisconsin 53706 , United States
| | - Krishna R Raghupathi
- Department of Chemistry , University of Massachusetts Amherst , 710 North Pleasant Street , Amherst , Massachusetts 01003 , United States
| | - Joel S Pendery
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering , University of Wisconsin-Madison , 1415 Engineering Drive , Madison , Wisconsin 53706 , United States
| | - Piyachai Khomein
- Department of Chemistry , University of Massachusetts Amherst , 710 North Pleasant Street , Amherst , Massachusetts 01003 , United States
| | - Uma Sridhar
- Department of Chemistry , University of Massachusetts Amherst , 710 North Pleasant Street , Amherst , Massachusetts 01003 , United States
| | - Juan J de Pablo
- Institute for Molecular Engineering , University of Chicago , Chicago , Illinois 60637 , United States
- Argonne National Laboratory , Argonne , Illinois 60439 , United States
| | - S Thayumanavan
- Department of Chemistry , University of Massachusetts Amherst , 710 North Pleasant Street , Amherst , Massachusetts 01003 , United States
| | - Nicholas L Abbott
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering , University of Wisconsin-Madison , 1415 Engineering Drive , Madison , Wisconsin 53706 , United States
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24
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Abstract
Liquid crystal (LC) based optical sensors have been found to be very promising for detecting aqueous biological samples due to the ease of optical detection, their cost effectiveness and the removal of the need for labelling biological species with fluorescent dyes. To date, all LC based sensors are studied in laboratories using conventional polarizing optical microscopy (POM), and no attention has been paid towards the fabrication of portable LC sensing devices for use in commercial purposes. Here, we designed and fabricated a 3D printed portable, lightweight, and inexpensive sensing device using a smartphone to detect the optical signal of LC based sensors. The accuracy of the optical signal using the fabricated sensing device is similar to that obtained using conventional POM. The fabricated sensing device, using a smartphone, gives a novel and new platform to LC based sensors for practical applications in the industrial world and people's daily lives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajib Nandi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Sector-81, Knowledge City, Manauli-140306, India.
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25
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Kim YK, Huang Y, Tsuei M, Wang X, Gianneschi NC, Abbott NL. Multi-Scale Responses of Liquid Crystals Triggered by Interfacial Assemblies of Cleavable Homopolymers. Chemphyschem 2018; 19:2037-2045. [PMID: 29682873 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201800106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Liquid crystals (LCs) offer the basis of stimuli-responsive materials that can amplify targeted molecular events into macroscopic outputs. However, general and versatile design principles are needed to realize the full potential of these materials. To this end, we report the synthesis of two homopolymers with mesogenic side chains that can be cleaved upon exposure to either H2 O2 (polymer P1) or UV light (polymer P2). Optical measurements reveal that the polymers dissolve in bulk LC and spontaneously assemble at nematic LC-aqueous interfaces to impose a perpendicular orientation on the LCs. Subsequent addition of H2 O2 to the aqueous phase or exposure of the LC to UV was shown to trigger a surface-driven ordering transition to a planar orientation and an accompanying macroscopic optical output. Differences in the dynamics of the response to each stimulus are consistent with sequential processing of P1 at the LC-aqueous interface (H2 O2 ) and simultaneous transformation of P2 within the LC (UV). The versatility of the approach is demonstrated by creating stimuli-responsive LCs as films or microdroplets, and by dissolving mixtures of P1 and P2 into LCs to create LC materials that respond to two stimuli. Overall, our results validate a simple and generalizable approach to the rational design of polymers that can be used to program stimuli-responsiveness into LC materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young-Ki Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Yuran Huang
- Materials Science & Engineering, University of Califonia, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Michael Tsuei
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Nathan C Gianneschi
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Nicholas L Abbott
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
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26
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Kim YK, Wang X, Mondkar P, Bukusoglu E, Abbott NL. Self-reporting and self-regulating liquid crystals. Nature 2018; 557:539-544. [DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0098-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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27
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Adamiak L, Pendery J, Sun J, Iwabata K, Gianneschi NC, Abbott NL. Design Principles for Triggerable Polymeric Amphiphiles with Mesogenic Side Chains for Multiscale Responses with Liquid Crystals. Macromolecules 2018. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.7b02140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Adamiak
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California—San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0303, United States
| | - Joel Pendery
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Jiawei Sun
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Kazuki Iwabata
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Nathan C. Gianneschi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California—San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0303, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60091-3113, United States
| | - Nicholas L. Abbott
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
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28
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Verma I, Sidiq S, Pal SK. Poly(l-lysine)-Coated Liquid Crystal Droplets for Sensitive Detection of DNA and Their Applications in Controlled Release of Drug Molecules. ACS OMEGA 2017; 2:7936-7945. [PMID: 30023567 PMCID: PMC6045355 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.7b01175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Interactions between DNA and adsorbed poly(l-lysine) (PLL) on liquid crystal (LC) droplets were investigated using polarizing optical microcopy and epi-fluorescence microscopy. Earlier, we demonstrated that adsorption of PLL to the LC/aqueous interface resulted in homeotropic orientation of the LC and thus exhibited a radial configuration of the LC confined within the droplets. Subsequent adsorption of DNA (single-stranded DNA/double-stranded DNA) at PLL-coated LC droplets was found to trigger an LC reorientation within the droplets, leading to preradial/bipolar configuration of those droplets. To our surprise, subsequent exposure of complementary ssDNA to ssDNA/adsorbed PLL-modified LC droplets did not cause the LC reorientation. This is likely due to the formation of polyplexes (DNA-PLL complex) as confirmed by fluorescence microscopy and atomic force microscopy. In addition, dsDNA-adsorbed PLL droplets have been found to be effectively useful to displace (controlled release) propidium iodide (a model drug) encapsulated within dsDNA over time. These observations suggest the potential for a label-free droplet-based LC detection system that can respond to DNA and may provide a simple method to develop DNA-based drug nanocarriers.
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