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Santos AFM, Figueirinhas JL, Dionísio M, Godinho MH, Branco LC. Ionic Liquid Crystals as Chromogenic Materials. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 17:4563. [PMID: 39336305 PMCID: PMC11432927 DOI: 10.3390/ma17184563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2024] [Revised: 07/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024]
Abstract
Ionic liquid crystals (ILCs), a class of soft matter materials whose properties can be tuned by the wise pairing of the cation and anion, have recently emerged as promising candidates for different applications, combining the characteristics of ionic liquids and liquid crystals. Among those potential uses, this review aims to cover chromogenic ILCs. In this context, examples of photo-, electro- and thermochromism based on ILCs are provided. Furthermore, thermotropic and lyotropic ionic liquid crystals are also summarised, including the most common chemical and phase structures, as well as the advantages of confining these materials. This manuscript also comprises the following main experimental techniques used to characterise ILCs: Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Polarised Optical Microscopy (POM) and X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRD). Chromogenic ILCs can be interesting smart materials for energy and health purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreia F M Santos
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University of Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - João L Figueirinhas
- CeFEMA and Department of Physics, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Madalena Dionísio
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University of Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Maria H Godinho
- i3N/CENIMAT, Department of Materials Science, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University of Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Luis C Branco
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University of Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
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Zhang Z, Yang X, Zhao Y, Ye F, Shang L. Liquid Crystal Materials for Biomedical Applications. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2300220. [PMID: 37235719 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202300220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystal is a state of matter being intermediate between solid and liquid. Liquid crystal materials exhibit both orientational order and fluidity. While liquid crystals have long been highly recognized in the display industry, in recent decades, liquid crystals provide new opportunities into the cross-field of material science and biomedicine due to their biocompatibility, multifunctionality, and responsiveness. In this review, the latest achievements of liquid crystal materials applied in biomedical fields are summarized. The start is made by introducing the basic concepts of liquid crystals, and then shifting to the components of liquid crystals as well as functional materials derived therefrom. After that, the ongoing and foreseeable applications of liquid crystal materials in the biomedical field with emphasis put on several cutting-edge aspects, including drug delivery, bioimaging, tissue engineering, implantable devices, biosensing, and wearable devices are discussed. It is hoped that this review will stimulate ingenious ideas for the future generation of liquid crystal-based drug development, artificial implants, disease diagnosis, health status monitoring, and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuohao Zhang
- Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, and the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, the International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xinyuan Yang
- Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, and the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, the International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yuanjin Zhao
- Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, and the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, the International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Fangfu Ye
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325001, China
| | - Luoran Shang
- Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, and the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, the International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
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Etale A, Onyianta AJ, Turner SR, Eichhorn SJ. Cellulose: A Review of Water Interactions, Applications in Composites, and Water Treatment. Chem Rev 2023; 123:2016-2048. [PMID: 36622272 PMCID: PMC9999429 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 81.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Cellulose is known to interact well with water, but is insoluble in it. Many polysaccharides such as cellulose are known to have significant hydrogen bond networks joining the molecular chains, and yet they are recalcitrant to aqueous solvents. This review charts the interaction of cellulose with water but with emphasis on the formation of both natural and synthetic fiber composites. Covering studies concerning the interaction of water with wood, the biosynthesis of cellulose in the cell wall, to its dispersion in aqueous suspensions and ultimately in water filtration and fiber-based composite materials this review explores water-cellulose interactions and how they can be exploited for synthetic and natural composites. The suggestion that cellulose is amphiphilic is critically reviewed, with relevance to its processing. Building on this, progress made in using various charged and modified forms of nanocellulose to stabilize oil-water emulsions is addressed. The role of water in the aqueous formation of chiral nematic liquid crystals, and subsequently when dried into composite films is covered. The review will also address the use of cellulose as an aid to water filtration as one area where interactions can be used effectively to prosper human life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Etale
- Bristol Composites Institute, School of Civil, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Bristol, University Walk, BristolBS8 1TR, United Kingdom
| | - Amaka J Onyianta
- Bristol Composites Institute, School of Civil, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Bristol, University Walk, BristolBS8 1TR, United Kingdom
| | - Simon R Turner
- School of Biological Science, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, ManchesterM13 9PT, U.K
| | - Stephen J Eichhorn
- Bristol Composites Institute, School of Civil, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Bristol, University Walk, BristolBS8 1TR, United Kingdom
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Thermally conductive molecular assembly composed of an oligo(ethylene glycol)-modified filamentous virus with improved solubility and resistance to organic solvents. Polym J 2020. [DOI: 10.1038/s41428-020-0328-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Chen L, Zheng J, Feng J, Qian Q, Zhou Y. Reversible modulation of plasmonic chiral signals of achiral gold nanorods using a chiral supramolecular template. Chem Commun (Camb) 2019; 55:11378-11381. [PMID: 31478536 DOI: 10.1039/c9cc06050b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
We report here the fabrication of a multiple stimuli-responsive chiral plasmonic system based on the reversible self-assembly of phenylboronic acid-capped gold nanorods (PBA-Au NRs) guided by a supramolecular glycopeptide mimetic template. The plasmonic chiral signals of PBA-Au NRs can be reversibly switched on and off by temperature, light, pH and glucose concentration variations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Limin Chen
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, P. R. China. and Engineering Research Center of Clinical Functional Materials and Diagnosis & Treatment Devices of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou 325000, P. R. China
| | - Jing Zheng
- Engineering Research Center of Clinical Functional Materials and Diagnosis & Treatment Devices of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou 325000, P. R. China
| | - Jie Feng
- Engineering Research Center of Clinical Functional Materials and Diagnosis & Treatment Devices of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou 325000, P. R. China
| | - Qiuping Qian
- Engineering Research Center of Clinical Functional Materials and Diagnosis & Treatment Devices of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou 325000, P. R. China
| | - Yunlong Zhou
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, P. R. China. and Engineering Research Center of Clinical Functional Materials and Diagnosis & Treatment Devices of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou 325000, P. R. China
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Korpi A, Anaya-Plaza E, Välimäki S, Kostiainen M. Highly ordered protein cage assemblies: A toolkit for new materials. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-NANOMEDICINE AND NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY 2019; 12:e1578. [PMID: 31414574 DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Revised: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Protein capsids are specialized and versatile natural macromolecules with exceptional properties. Their homogenous, spherical, rod-like or toroidal geometry, and spatially directed functionalities make them intriguing building blocks for self-assembled nanostructures. High degrees of functionality and modifiability allow for their assembly via non-covalent interactions, such as electrostatic and coordination bonding, enabling controlled self-assembly into higher-order structures. These assembly processes are sensitive to the molecules used and the surrounding conditions, making it possible to tune the chemical and physical properties of the resultant material and generate multifunctional and environmentally sensitive systems. These materials have numerous potential applications, including catalysis and drug delivery. This article is categorized under: Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Protein and Virus-Based Structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antti Korpi
- Biohybrid Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, Aalto, Finland
| | - Eduardo Anaya-Plaza
- Biohybrid Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, Aalto, Finland
| | - Salla Välimäki
- Biohybrid Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, Aalto, Finland
| | - Mauri Kostiainen
- Biohybrid Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, Aalto, Finland
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Wu L, Sun H. Manipulation of cholesteric liquid crystal phase behavior and molecular assembly by molecular chirality. Phys Rev E 2019; 100:022703. [PMID: 31574769 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.100.022703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Molecular simulation is used to study the effect of molecular chirality on liquid crystalline phase transition and molecular assembly behavior. Based on a flexible chain (FCh) model with helical arrangement of side beads, the phase behavior of FCh models with various molecular chiralities are studied as functions of pressure (or density). By modifying the molecular chirality of FCh, we can manipulate the relative stability of the nematic and cholesteric phases continuously; and we found that increasing molecular chirality may destabilize cholesteric order due to the effective reduction of chiral interactions. A semismectic phase is identified in the high-density region, in which the two-dimensional fluid layers overlap due to shift alignment formed by FCh particles. The global phase diagram of the FCh model is constructed and the potential energy surface is calculated to elucidate the formation of cholesteric phase in terms of two-body interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Wu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Materials Genome Initiative Center, and Key Laboratory of Scientific and Engineering Computing of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Huai Sun
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Materials Genome Initiative Center, and Key Laboratory of Scientific and Engineering Computing of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
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Petrescu DS, Blum AS. Viral-based nanomaterials for plasmonic and photonic materials and devices. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-NANOMEDICINE AND NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY 2018; 10:e1508. [PMID: 29418076 DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Revised: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Over the last decade, viruses have established themselves as a powerful tool in nanotechnology. Their proteinaceous capsids benefit from biocompatibility, chemical addressability, and a variety of sizes and geometries, while their ability to encapsulate, scaffold, and self-assemble enables their use for a wide array of purposes. Moreover, the scaling up of viral-based nanotechnologies is facilitated by high capsid production yield and speed, which is particularly advantageous when compared with slower and costlier lithographic techniques. These features enable the bottom-up fabrication of photonic and plasmonic materials, which relies on the precise arrangement of photoactive material at the nanoscale to control phenomena such as electromagnetic wave propagation and energy transfer. The interdisciplinary approach required for the fabrication of such materials combines techniques from the life sciences and device engineering, thus promoting innovative research. Materials with applications spanning the fields of sensing (biological, chemical, and physical sensors), nanomedicine (cellular imaging, drug delivery, phototherapy), energy transfer and conversion (solar cells, light harvesting, photocatalysis), metamaterials (negative refraction, artificial magnetism, near-field amplification), and nanoparticle synthesis are considered with exclusive emphasis on viral capsids and protein cages. This article is categorized under: Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Protein and Virus-Based Structures.
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Wu L, Sun H. Cholesteric ordering predicted using a coarse-grained polymeric model with helical interactions. SOFT MATTER 2018; 14:344-353. [PMID: 29211101 DOI: 10.1039/c7sm02077e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The understanding of cholesteric liquid crystals at a molecular level is challenging. Limited insights are available to bridge between molecular structures and macroscopic chiral organization. In the present study, we introduce a novel coarse-grained (CG) molecular model, which is represented by flexible chain particles with helical interactions (FCh), to study the liquid crystalline phase behavior of cholesteric molecules such as double strand DNA and α-helix polypeptides using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The isotropic-cholesteric phase transitions of FCh molecules were simulated for varying chain flexibilities. A wall confinement was used to break the periodicity along the cholesteric helix director in order to predict the equilibrium cholesteric pitch. The left-handed cholesteric phase was shown for FCh molecules with right-handed chiral interactions, and a spatially inhomogeneous distribution of the nematic order parameter profile was observed in cholesteric phases. It was found that the chain flexibility plays an important role in determining the macroscopic cholesteric pitch and the structure of the cholesteric liquid crystal phase. The simulations provide insight into the relationship between microscopic molecular characteristics and the macroscopic phase behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Wu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Scientific and Engineering Computing of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, China.
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Abstract
Liquid crystals play an important role in biology because the combination of order and mobility is a basic requirement for self-organisation and structure formation in living systems. Cholesteric liquid crystals are omnipresent in living matter under both in vivo and in vitro conditions and address the major types of molecules essential to life. In the animal and plant kingdoms, the cholesteric structure is a recurring design, suggesting a convergent evolution to an optimised left-handed helix. Herein, we review the recent advances in the cholesteric organisation of DNA, chromatin, chitin, cellulose, collagen, viruses, silk and cholesterol ester deposition in atherosclerosis. Cholesteric structures can be found in bacteriophages, archaea, eukaryotes, bacterial nucleoids, chromosomes of unicellular algae, sperm nuclei of many vertebrates, cuticles of crustaceans and insects, bone, tendon, cornea, fish scales and scutes, cuttlebone and squid pens, plant cell walls, virus suspensions, silk produced by spiders and silkworms, and arterial wall lesions. This article specifically aims at describing the consequences of the cholesteric geometry in living matter, which are far from being fully defined and understood, and discusses various perspectives. The roles and functions of biological cholesteric liquid crystals include maximisation of packing efficiency, morphogenesis, mechanical stability, optical information, radiation protection and evolution pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Mitov
- Centre d'Elaboration de Matériaux et d'Etudes Structurales (CEMES), CNRS, BP 94347, 29 rue Jeanne-Marvig, F-31055 Toulouse Cedex 4, France.
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Jin X, Jiang J, Liu M. Reversible Plasmonic Circular Dichroism via Hybrid Supramolecular Gelation of Achiral Gold Nanorods. ACS NANO 2016; 10:11179-11186. [PMID: 28024330 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.6b06233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The fabrication of chiroptical plasmonic nanomaterials such as chiral plasmonic gold nanorods (GNRs) has been attracting great interest. Generally, in order to realize the plasmonic circular dichroism (PCD) from achiral GNRs, it is necessary to partially replace the surface-coated cetyltrimethylammonium bromide with chiral molecules. Here, we present a supramolecular approach to generate and modulate the PCD of GNRs through the hybrid gelation of GNRs with an amphiphilic chiral dendron gelator. Upon gelation, the PCD could be produced and further regulated depending on the ratio of the dendrons to GNRs. It was revealed that the wrapping of the self-assembled nanofibers around the GNRs is crucial for generating the PCD. Furthermore, the hybrid gel underwent a thermotriggered gel-sol and sol-gel transformation, during which the PCD can disappear (solution) and reappear (gel), respectively, and such process can be repeated many times. In addition, the hybrid gel could also undergo shrinkage upon addition of a slight amount of Mg2+ ions, during which the PCD disappeared also. Thus, through the gel formation and subsequent metal ion- or temperature-triggered phase transition, PCD can be reversibly modulated. The results not only clarified the generation mechanism of PCD from the achiral GNRs without the chiral modification on the surface but also offered a simple and efficient way to modulate the PCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Jin
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Science, CAS Key Laboratory of Colloid, Interface and Chemical Thermodynamics, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Jiang
- National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience , Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
| | - Minghua Liu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Science, CAS Key Laboratory of Colloid, Interface and Chemical Thermodynamics, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
- National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience , Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
- A Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering , Tianjin 300072, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
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Zan T, Wu F, Pei X, Jia S, Zhang R, Wu S, Niu Z, Zhang Z. Into the polymer brush regime through the "grafting-to" method: densely polymer-grafted rodlike viruses with an unusual nematic liquid crystal behavior. SOFT MATTER 2016; 12:798-805. [PMID: 26531814 DOI: 10.1039/c5sm02015h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The current work reports an intriguing discovery of how the force exerted on protein complexes like filamentous viruses by the strong interchain repulsion of polymer brushes can induce subtle changes of the constituent subunits at the molecular scale. Such changes transform into the macroscopic rearrangement of the chiral ordering of the rodlike virus in three dimensions. For this, a straightforward "grafting-to" PEGylation method has been developed to densely graft a filamentous virus with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). The grafting density is so high that PEG is in the polymer brush regime, resulting in straight and thick rodlike particles with a thin viral backbone. Scission of the densely PEGylated viruses into fragments was observed due to the steric repulsion of the PEG brush, as facilitated by adsorption onto a mica surface. The high grafting density of PEG endows the virus with an isotropic-nematic (I-N) liquid crystal (LC) phase transition that is independent of the ionic strength and the densely PEGylated viruses enter into the nematic LC phase at much lower virus concentrations. Most importantly, while the intact virus and the one grafted with PEG of low grafting density can form a chiral nematic LC phase, the densely PEGylated viruses only form a pure nematic LC phase. This can be traced back to the secondary to tertiary structural change of the major coat protein of the virus, driven by the steric repulsion of the PEG brush. Quantitative parameters characterising the conformation of the grafted PEG derived from the grafting density or the I-N LC transition are elegantly consistent with the theoretical prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Zan
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
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