1
|
Park SM, Yoon DK. Evaporation-induced self-assembly of liquid crystal biopolymers. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2024; 11:1843-1866. [PMID: 38375871 DOI: 10.1039/d3mh01585h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) is a process that has gained significant attention in recent years due to its fundamental science and potential applications in materials science and nanotechnology. This technique involves controlled drying of a solution or dispersion of materials, forming structures with specific shapes and sizes. In particular, liquid crystal (LC) biopolymers have emerged as promising candidates for EISA due to their highly ordered structures and biocompatible properties after deposition. This review provides an overview of recent progress in the EISA of LC biopolymers, including DNA, nanocellulose, viruses, and other biopolymers. The underlying self-assembly mechanisms, the effects of different processing conditions, and the potential applications of the resulting structures are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Soon Mo Park
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Dong Ki Yoon
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Williams CA, Parker RM, Kyriacou A, Murace M, Vignolini S. Inkjet Printed Photonic Cellulose Nanocrystal Patterns. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2307563. [PMID: 37965844 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202307563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Naturally-sourced cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are elongated, birefringent nanoparticles that can undergo cholesteric self-assembly in water to produce vibrant, structurally colored films. As such, they are an ideal candidate for use as sustainable and cost-effective inks in the printing of scalable photonic coatings and bespoke patterns. However, the small volume and large surface area of a sessile CNC drop typically leads to rapid evaporation, resulting in microfilms with a coffee-stain-like morphology and very weak coloration. Here, it is demonstrated that inkjet printing of CNC drops directly through an immiscible oil layer can immediately inhibit water loss, resulting in reduced internal mass flows and greater time for cholesteric self-assembly. The color of each microfilm is determined by the initial composition of the drop, which can be tuned on-demand by exploiting the overprinting and coalescence of multiple smaller drops of different inks. This enables the production of multicolored patterns with complex optical behaviors, such as angle-dependent color and polarization-selective reflection. Finally, the array can be made responsive to stimuli (e.g., UV light, polar solvent) by the inclusion of a degradable additive. This suite of functional properties promotes inkjet-printed photonic CNC arrays for smart colorimetric labeling or optical anticounterfeiting applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cyan A Williams
- Cambridge Graphene Centre, University of Cambridge, JJ Thompson Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 0FA, United Kingdom
| | - Richard M Parker
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Kyriacou
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
- Domino Printing UK, Trafalgar Way, Bar Hill, CB23 8TU, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Murace
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Silvia Vignolini
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Frka-Petesic B, Parton TG, Honorato-Rios C, Narkevicius A, Ballu K, Shen Q, Lu Z, Ogawa Y, Haataja JS, Droguet BE, Parker RM, Vignolini S. Structural Color from Cellulose Nanocrystals or Chitin Nanocrystals: Self-Assembly, Optics, and Applications. Chem Rev 2023; 123:12595-12756. [PMID: 38011110 PMCID: PMC10729353 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Widespread concerns over the impact of human activity on the environment have resulted in a desire to replace artificial functional materials with naturally derived alternatives. As such, polysaccharides are drawing increasing attention due to offering a renewable, biodegradable, and biocompatible feedstock for functional nanomaterials. In particular, nanocrystals of cellulose and chitin have emerged as versatile and sustainable building blocks for diverse applications, ranging from mechanical reinforcement to structural coloration. Much of this interest arises from the tendency of these colloidally stable nanoparticles to self-organize in water into a lyotropic cholesteric liquid crystal, which can be readily manipulated in terms of its periodicity, structure, and geometry. Importantly, this helicoidal ordering can be retained into the solid-state, offering an accessible route to complex nanostructured films, coatings, and particles. In this review, the process of forming iridescent, structurally colored films from suspensions of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) is summarized and the mechanisms underlying the chemical and physical phenomena at each stage in the process explored. Analogy is then drawn with chitin nanocrystals (ChNCs), allowing for key differences to be critically assessed and strategies toward structural coloration to be presented. Importantly, the progress toward translating this technology from academia to industry is summarized, with unresolved scientific and technical questions put forward as challenges to the community.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Frka-Petesic
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
- International
Institute for Sustainability with Knotted Chiral Meta Matter (WPI-SKCM), Hiroshima University, 1-3-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8526, Japan
| | - Thomas G. Parton
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Camila Honorato-Rios
- Department
of Sustainable and Bio-inspired Materials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Aurimas Narkevicius
- B
CUBE − Center for Molecular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Kevin Ballu
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Qingchen Shen
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Zihao Lu
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Yu Ogawa
- CERMAV-CNRS,
CS40700, 38041 Grenoble cedex 9, France
| | - Johannes S. Haataja
- Department
of Applied Physics, Aalto University School
of Science, P.O. Box
15100, Aalto, Espoo FI-00076, Finland
| | - Benjamin E. Droguet
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Richard M. Parker
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Silvia Vignolini
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wang Q, Niu W, Feng S, Liu J, Liu H, Zhu Q. Accelerating Cellulose Nanocrystal Assembly into Chiral Nanostructures. ACS NANO 2023. [PMID: 37464327 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c03797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) suspensions self-assembled into chiral nematic liquid crystals. This property has enabled the development of versatile optical materials with fascinating properties. Nevertheless, the scale-up production and commercial success of chiral nematic CNC superstructures face significant challenges. Fabrication of chiral nematic CNC nanostructures suffers from a ubiquitous pernicious trade-off between uniform chiral nematic structure and rapid self-assembly. Specifically, the chiral nematic assembly of CNCs is a time-consuming, spontaneous process that involves the organization of particles into ordered nanostructures as the solvent evaporates. This review is driven by the interest in accelerating chiral nematic CNC assembly and promoting a long-range oriented chiral nematic CNC superstructure. To start this review, the chirality origins of CNC and CNC aggregates are analyzed. This is followed by a summary of the recent advances in stimuli-accelerated chiral nematic CNC self-assembly procedures, including evaporation-induced self-assembly, continuous coating, vacuum-assisted self-assembly, and shear-induced CNC assembly under confinement. In particular, stimuli-induced unwinding, alignment, and relaxation of chiral nematic structures were highlighted, offering a significant link between the accelerated assembly approaches and uniform chiral nematic nanostructures. Ultimately, future opportunities and challenges for rapid chiral nematic CNC assembly are discussed for more innovative and exciting applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qianqian Wang
- Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, School of Emergency Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Wen Niu
- Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, School of Emergency Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Shixuan Feng
- Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, School of Emergency Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, School of Emergency Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Huan Liu
- Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, School of Emergency Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Qianqian Zhu
- Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, School of Emergency Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
- Institute of Quantum and Sustainable Technology (IQST), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, China
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Park SM, Bagnani M, Yun HS, Han MJ, Mezzenga R, Yoon DK. Hierarchically Fabricated Amyloid Fibers via Evaporation-Induced Self-Assembly. ACS NANO 2021; 15:20261-20266. [PMID: 34890186 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c08374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Multiscale hierarchical nano- and microstructures of amyloid fibrils are fabricated by evaporation-induced self-assembly combined with topographic surface patterning techniques. The continuous stick-and-slip motion induces uniaxial alignment of amyloid fibrils characterized by high orientational order during the drying process. The optical textures of the resultant amyloid aggregates are directly observed by polarized optical microscopy (POM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The resulting fiber structure can be tuned by varying the width of the topographic pattern, e.g., the microchannel width, inducing different separation between the deposited amyloid fibers on the glass substrate. Additionally, amyloid fibrils are decorated with gold nanoparticles to produce conductive microwires showing good conductivity (∼10-3 S/m). The finely controlled deposited amyloid fibers presented here can show a way to use naturally-abundant biomaterials for practical applications such as nanowires and sensors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Soon Mo Park
- Graduate School of Nanoscience and Technology, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Massimo Bagnani
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 9, LFO E23, Zurich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Hee Seong Yun
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Moon Jong Han
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Raffaele Mezzenga
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 9, LFO E23, Zurich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Dong Ki Yoon
- Graduate School of Nanoscience and Technology, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- KAIST Institute for NanoCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Chen T, Zhao Q, Meng X, Li Y, Peng H, Whittaker AK, Zhu S. Ultrasensitive Magnetic Tuning of Optical Properties of Films of Cholesteric Cellulose Nanocrystals. ACS NANO 2020; 14:9440-9448. [PMID: 32574040 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c00506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Chiral photonic crystals derived from the self-assembly of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have found important applications in optical devices due to the capacity to adjust the chiral nematic phase under external stimulus, in particular an applied magnetic field. To date, strong magnetic fields have been required to induce an optical response in CNC films. In this work, the self-assembly of films of CNCs can be tuned by applying an ultrasmall magnetic field. The CNCs, decorated with Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Fe3O4/CNCs), were dispersed in suspensions of neat CNCs so as to alter the magnetic response of the CNCs. A subsequent process of dispersion not only prevents the clumping of the magnetic nanoparticles but also enhances the sensitivity to an applied magnetic field. A small magnetic field of 7 mT can tune the self-assembly and the microstructure of the CNCs. The pitch of the chiral structure decreased with an increase in applied magnetic field, from 302 to 206 nm, for fields from 7 to 15 mT. This phenomenon is opposite that observed for neat CNCs, in which the pitch is observed to increase with an increase in the external magnetic strength. The optical response under application of an ultrasmall magnetic field could help with theoretical research and enable more applications, such as sensors or nanotemplating agents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tianxing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Qinglan Zhao
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Xin Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Yao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Peng
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology and ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Andrew K Whittaker
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology and ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Shenmin Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Qu D, Zussman E. Electro-responsive Liquid Crystalline Nanocelluloses with Reversible Switching. J Phys Chem Lett 2020; 11:6697-6703. [PMID: 32787220 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c01924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystalline cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) which can change their structural and optical properties in an electric field could be a new choice for advanced optoelectronic devices. Unfortunately, the exploration of its performance in an electric field is underdeveloped. Hence, we reveal some interesting dielectric coupling activities of liquid crystalline CNC in an electric field. The CNC tactoid is shown to orient its helix axis normal to the electric field direction. Then, as a function of the electric field strength and frequency, the tactoid can be stretched along with a pitch increase, with a deformation mechanism significantly differing at varied frequencies, and finally untwists the helix axis to form a nematic structure upon increasing the electric field strength. Moreover, a straightforward method to visualize the electric field is demonstrated, by combining the CNC uniform lying helix textures with polarized optical microscopy. We envision these understandings could facilitate the development of liquid crystalline CNC in the design of electro-optical devices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dan Qu
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Eyal Zussman
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
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.
Collapse
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 .
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Martin P, Vasilyev G, Chu G, Boas M, Arinstein A, Zussman E. pH‐Controlled network formation in a mixture of oppositely charged cellulose nanocrystals and poly(allylamine). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/polb.24898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Martin
- Nano Engineering Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology Haifa 32000 Israel
| | - Gleb Vasilyev
- Nano Engineering Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology Haifa 32000 Israel
| | - Guang Chu
- Nano Engineering Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology Haifa 32000 Israel
| | - Mor Boas
- Nano Engineering Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology Haifa 32000 Israel
| | - Arkadii Arinstein
- Nano Engineering Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology Haifa 32000 Israel
| | - Eyal Zussman
- Nano Engineering Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology Haifa 32000 Israel
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Qu D, Chu G, Martin P, Vasilyev G, Vilensky R, Zussman E. Modulating the Structural Orientation of Nanocellulose Composites through Mechano-Stimuli. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2019; 11:40443-40450. [PMID: 31578855 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b12106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
It is of great interest to dynamically manipulate the optical property by controlling nanostructures under external stimuli. In this work, chiral photonic cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) and elastic polyurethane (PU) composite films demonstrate reversible optical tunability arising from structural transition between the chiral nematic and layered pseudonematic order. The composite films exhibit impressive water resistance and mechanical adaptability. Reversible modulation of the optical property of the composite CNC/PU film is enabled during mechanical stretching and water absorption. Film stretching is accompanied by CNC transition from a chiral nematic to layered pseudonematic structure. After fixation, shape recovery takes place when exposed to water, and the CNC structure reverts to the initial chiral nematic order. These reversibly switchable shape and optical properties further advance the study and design of smart optical and mechanical sensors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dan Qu
- Nano Engineering Group, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering , Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 3200003 , Israel
| | - Guang Chu
- Nano Engineering Group, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering , Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 3200003 , Israel
| | - Patrick Martin
- Nano Engineering Group, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering , Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 3200003 , Israel
| | - Gleb Vasilyev
- Nano Engineering Group, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering , Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 3200003 , Israel
| | - Rita Vilensky
- Nano Engineering Group, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering , Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 3200003 , Israel
| | - Eyal Zussman
- Nano Engineering Group, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering , Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 3200003 , Israel
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Frka-Petesic B, Kamita G, Guidetti G, Vignolini S. The angular optical response of cellulose nanocrystal films explained by the distortion of the arrested suspension upon drying. PHYSICAL REVIEW MATERIALS 2019; 3:045601. [PMID: 33225202 PMCID: PMC7116400 DOI: 10.1103/physrevmaterials.3.045601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are bio-sourced chiral nanorods that can form stable colloidal suspensions able to spontaneously assemble above a critical concentration into a cholesteric liquid crystal, with a cholesteric pitch usually in the micron range. When these suspensions are dried on a substrate, solid films with a pitch of the order of few hundreds of nanometers can be produced, leading to intense reflection in the visible range. However, the resulting cholesteric nanostructure is usually not homogeneous within a sample and comports important variations of the cholesteric domain orientation and pitch, which affect the photonic properties. In this work, we first propose a model accounting for the formation of the photonic structure from the vertical compression of the cholesteric suspension upon solvent evaporation, starting at the onset of the kinetic arrest of the drying suspension and ending when solvent evaporation is complete. From that assumption, various structural features of the films can be derived, such as the variation of the cholesteric pitch with the domain tilt, the orientation distribution density of the final cholesteric domains and the distortion of the helix from the unperturbed cholesteric case. The angular-resolved optical response of such films is then derived, including the iridescence and the generation of higher order reflection bands, and a simulation of the angular optical response is provided, including its tailoring under external magnetic fields. Second, we conducted an experimental investigation of CNC films covering a structural and optical analysis of the films. The macroscopic appearance of the films is discussed and complemented with angular-resolved optical spectroscopy, optical and electron microscopy, and our quantitative analysis shows an excellent agreement with the proposed model. This allows us to access the precise composition and the pitch of the suspension when it transited into a kinetically arrested phase directly from the optical analysis of the film. This work highlights the key role that the anisotropic compression of the kinetically arrested state plays in the formation of CNC films and is relevant to the broader case of structure formation in cast dispersions and colloidal self-assembly upon solvent evaporation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Frka-Petesic
- Melville laboratory for polymer Synthesis, Chemistry dept., University of Cambridge
| | - Gen Kamita
- Melville laboratory for polymer Synthesis, Chemistry dept., University of Cambridge
| | - Giulia Guidetti
- Melville laboratory for polymer Synthesis, Chemistry dept., University of Cambridge
| | - Silvia Vignolini
- Melville laboratory for polymer Synthesis, Chemistry dept., University of Cambridge
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
O'Keeffe O, Wang PX, Hamad WY, MacLachlan MJ. Boundary Geometry Effects on the Coalescence of Liquid Crystalline Tactoids and Formation of Topological Defects. J Phys Chem Lett 2019; 10:278-282. [PMID: 30615453 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.8b03733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
In many lyotropic liquid crystals, the evolution of macroscopic anisotropic phases is mediated by tactoids, which are discrete ordered microdroplets existing in continuous disordered phases. Here we report the effects of boundary conditions on the movement and transformation of liquid crystalline tactoids of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) in nonspherical droplets. Using an in situ photopolymerization method, we obtained three-dimensional views of the initial emergence and expansion of macroscopic ordered phases. These processes, as well as the evolution of topological defects, were significantly influenced by the boundary geometry (or Marangoni flows and pinning effects) of the droplets. This phenomenon helps explain the influence of the substrate on the photonic properties of chiral nematic films of CNCs and may also provide new insights into the self-assembly process in lyotropic liquid crystals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Orla O'Keeffe
- Department of Chemistry , University of British Columbia , 2036 Main Mall , Vancouver , British Columbia , Canada V6T 1Z1
| | - Pei-Xi Wang
- Department of Chemistry , University of British Columbia , 2036 Main Mall , Vancouver , British Columbia , Canada V6T 1Z1
| | - Wadood Y Hamad
- FPInnovations , 2665 East Mall , Vancouver , British Columbia , Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - Mark J MacLachlan
- Department of Chemistry , University of British Columbia , 2036 Main Mall , Vancouver , British Columbia , Canada V6T 1Z1
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
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.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Shengwei Deng
- College of Chemical Engineering , Zhejiang University of Technology , Hangzhou 310014 , China
| | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Chu G, Zussman E. From Chaos to Order: Evaporative Assembly and Collective Behavior in Drying Liquid Crystal Droplets. J Phys Chem Lett 2018; 9:4795-4801. [PMID: 30084639 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.8b01866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of dynamic assembly and collective motion in living systems are marvels of nature that suggest universal principles for governing self-organization. By drying a drop of surfactant-stabilized liquid crystal emulsions, we present a simple form of evaporative assembly and collective motion in colloidal droplets. Driven by local evaporation flux distribution and capillary force, the dynamic mode in these swimming liquid crystal droplets highly depends on their intrinsic configurations, exhibiting a macroscopic transition from chaotic to well-organized. The combination of collective behavior, speed distribution, interparticle interaction, formation of topological defects and dislocations in a swarm of hexagonal ordered liquid crystal droplets produced a myriad of dynamical states, which suggest a means of mimicking the nonequilibrium state of living matter with controlled properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guang Chu
- NanoEngineering Group, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering , Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 3200003 , Israel
| | - Eyal Zussman
- NanoEngineering Group, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering , Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 3200003 , Israel
| |
Collapse
|