1
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Yang R, Deng Y, Xie S, Liu M, Zou Y, Qian T, An Q, Chen J, Shen S, van den Berg A, Zhang M, Shui L. Controllable ingestion and release of guest components driven by interfacial molecular orientation of host liquid crystal droplets. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 652:557-566. [PMID: 37607418 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.08.089] [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: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Controllable construction and manipulation of artificial multi-compartmental structures are crucial in understanding and imitating smart molecular elements such as biological cells and on-demand delivery systems. Here, we report a liquid crystal droplet (LCD) based three-dimensional system for controllable and reversible ingestion and release of guest aqueous droplets (GADs). Induced by interfacial thermodynamic fluctuation and internal topological defect, microscale LCDs with perpendicular anchoring condition at the interface would spontaneously ingest external components from the surroundings and transform them as radially assembled tiny GADs inside LCDs. Landau-de Gennes free-energy model is applied to describe and explain the assembly dynamics and morphologies of these tiny GADs, which presents a good agreement with experimental observations. Furthermore, the release of these ingested GADs can be actively triggered by changing the anchoring conditions at the interface of LCDs. Since those ingestion and release processes are controllable and happen very gently at room temperature and neutral pH environment without extra energy input, these microscale LCDs are very prospective to provide a unique and viable route for constructing hierarchical 3D structures with tunable components and compartments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruizhi Yang
- Joint Laboratory of Optofluidic Technology and Systems (LOTS), National Center for International Research on Green Optoelectronics, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, School of Information and Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yueming Deng
- Joint Laboratory of Optofluidic Technology and Systems (LOTS), National Center for International Research on Green Optoelectronics, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, School of Information and Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Shuting Xie
- Joint Laboratory of Optofluidic Technology and Systems (LOTS), National Center for International Research on Green Optoelectronics, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, School of Information and Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Mengjun Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nanophotonic Functional Materials and Devices, School of Information and Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yiying Zou
- Joint Laboratory of Optofluidic Technology and Systems (LOTS), National Center for International Research on Green Optoelectronics, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, School of Information and Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Tiezheng Qian
- Department of Mathematics, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Qi An
- Joint Laboratory of Optofluidic Technology and Systems (LOTS), National Center for International Research on Green Optoelectronics, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, School of Information and Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jiamei Chen
- Joint Laboratory of Optofluidic Technology and Systems (LOTS), National Center for International Research on Green Optoelectronics, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, School of Information and Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Shitao Shen
- Joint Laboratory of Optofluidic Technology and Systems (LOTS), National Center for International Research on Green Optoelectronics, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, School of Information and Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Albert van den Berg
- BIOS Lab-on-a-Chip Group, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, Technical Medical Centre and Max Planck Centre for Complex Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente, AE, Enschede 7500, the Netherlands
| | - Minmin Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nanophotonic Functional Materials and Devices, School of Information and Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Lingling Shui
- Joint Laboratory of Optofluidic Technology and Systems (LOTS), National Center for International Research on Green Optoelectronics, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, School of Information and Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nanophotonic Functional Materials and Devices, School of Information and Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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2
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Atzin N, Mozaffari A, Tang X, Das S, Abbott NL, de Pablo JJ. Minimal Model of Solitons in Nematic Liquid Crystals. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2023; 131:188101. [PMID: 37977640 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.131.188101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Solitons in liquid crystals have generated considerable interest. Several hypotheses of varying complexity have been advanced to explain how they arise, but consensus has not emerged yet about the underlying forces responsible for their formation or their structure. In this work, we present a minimal model for solitons in achiral nematic liquid crystals, which reveals the key requirements needed to generate them in the absence of added charges. These include a surface inhomogeneity, consisting of an adsorbed particle capable of producing a twist, flexoelectricity, dielectric contrast, and an applied ac electric field that can couple to the director's orientation. Our proposed model is based on a tensorial representation of a confined liquid crystal, and it predicts the formation of "butterfly" structures, quadrupolar in character, in regions of a slit channel where the director is twisted by the surface imperfection. As the applied electric field is increased, solitons (or "bullets") become detached from the wings of the butterfly, and then propagate rapidly throughout the system. The main observations that emerge from the model, including the formation and structure of butterflies, bullets, and stripes, as well as the role of surface inhomogeneity and the strength of the applied field, are consistent with experimental findings presented here for nematic LCs confined between two chemically treated parallel plates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noe Atzin
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Ali Mozaffari
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
- OpenEye, Cadence Molecular Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA
| | - Xingzhou Tang
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Soumik Das
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, 208016, India
- Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Nicholas L Abbott
- Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Juan J de Pablo
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
- Center for Molecular Engineering, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, USA
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3
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Liu M, Fu J, Yang S. Synthesis of Microparticles with Diverse Thermally Responsive Shapes Originated from the Same Janus Liquid Crystalline Microdroplets. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2303106. [PMID: 37495936 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202303106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystalline elastomer (LCE)-based microparticles that can change shapes in response to external stimuli are of great interest for potential applications such as artificial cells, micro-actuators, micro-valves, and smart drug carriers. Here, the synthesis of LCE microparticles with diverse temperature-dependent anisotropic shapes originated from the same Janus microdroplets is reported. The Janus microdroplets, suspended in an aqueous solution of surfactants, are transformed from microdroplets consisting of a mixture of liquid crystal (LC) monomers, oligomers, silicone oil, and an organic solvent, after the removal of the organic solvent. The molecular alignment of the LC part at the interface, whether planar, homeotropic, or hybrid, is dependent on the choice of the surfactants but not affected by the silicone oil. After polymerization and solvent extraction of the unreacted components, LCE microparticles of various shapes are obtained depending on the concentration and composition of the surfactants, the weight ratio of the LC part to the silicone oil part, and the choice of the extraction solvent. The microparticles that undergo different synthetic pathways show distinct thermally responsive shapes, much like how stem cells differentiate in different environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhu Liu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
- School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, P. R. China
| | - Jiemin Fu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
| | - Shu Yang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
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4
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Money J, Munguia-Fernández JG, Norouzi S, Esmaeili M, Martínez-González JA, Sadati M. Photonic features of blue phase liquid crystals under curved confinement. Chem Commun (Camb) 2023; 59:12231-12247. [PMID: 37750291 DOI: 10.1039/d3cc03284a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Blue phase (BP) liquid crystals represent a fascinating state of soft matter that showcases unique optical and electro-optical properties. Existing between chiral nematic and isotropic phases, BPs are characterized by a three-dimensional cubic lattice structure resulting in selective Bragg reflections of light and consequent vivid structural colors. However, the practical realization of these material systems is hampered by their narrow thermal stability and multi-domain crystalline nature. This feature article provides an overview of the efforts devoted to stabilizing these phases and creating monodomain structures. In particular, it delves into the complex relationship between geometrical confinement, induced curvature, and the structural stability and photonic features of BPs. Understanding the interaction of curved confinement and structural stability of BPs proves crucially important for the integration of these materials into flexible and miniaturized devices. By shedding light on these critical aspects, this feature review aims to highlight the significance of understanding the coupling effects of physical and mechanical forces on the structural stability of these systems, which can pave the way for the development of efficient and practical devices based on BP liquid crystals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Money
- Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering and Computing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA.
| | - Juan G Munguia-Fernández
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Av. Parque Chapultepec 1570, San Luis Potosí 78210, SLP, México
| | - Sepideh Norouzi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering and Computing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA.
| | - Mohsen Esmaeili
- Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering and Computing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA.
| | - José A Martínez-González
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Av. Parque Chapultepec 1570, San Luis Potosí 78210, SLP, México
| | - Monirosadat Sadati
- Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering and Computing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA.
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Salgado-Blanco D, Díaz-Herrera E, Martínez-González JA, Mendoza CI. Phase transitions and topological defects in discotic liquid crystal droplets with planar anchoring: a Monte Carlo simulation study. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:5916-5924. [PMID: 37485668 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm00534h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
In this work we present the results of Monte Carlo (MC) simulations at the isothermal-isobaric ensemble for a discotic liquid crystal (DLC) droplet whose surface promotes edge-on (planar) anchoring. For a given pressure, we simulate an annealing process that enables observation of phase transitions within the spherical droplet. In particular, we report a first order isotropic-nematic transition as well as a nematic-columnar transition at the center of the droplet. We found the appearance of topological defects consisting of two disclination lines with ends at the surface of the sphere. We also observed that both transitions, isotropic-nematic and nematic-columnar, occur at lower temperatures as compared to the unconfined system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Salgado-Blanco
- División de Materiales Avanzados, IPICYT, Camino a la Presa San José 2055, 78216, San Luis Potosí, S. L. P. 78216, Mexico
- CONACyT - Centro Nacional de Supercómputo, IPICYT, Camino a la Presa San José 2055, 78216, San Luis Potosí, S. L. P. 78216, Mexico.
| | - Enrique Díaz-Herrera
- Departamento de Física, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Ave. San Rafael Atlixco 186, Col. Vicentina, 09340 México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - José A Martínez-González
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Av. Parque Chapultepec 1570, San Luis Potosí, 78210 SLP, Mexico.
| | - Carlos I Mendoza
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo. Postal 70-360, 04510 México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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6
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Aery S, Parry A, Araiza-Calahorra A, Evans SD, Gleeson HF, Dan A, Sarkar A. Ultra-stable liquid crystal droplets coated by sustainable plant-based materials for optical sensing of chemical and biological analytes. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY. C 2023; 11:5831-5845. [PMID: 37153011 PMCID: PMC10158717 DOI: 10.1039/d3tc00598d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Herein, we demonstrate for the first time the synthesis of ultra-stable, spherical, nematic liquid crystal (LC) droplets of narrow size polydispersity coated by sustainable, biodegradable, plant-based materials that trigger a typical bipolar-to-radial configurational transition in dynamic response to chemical and biological analytes. Specifically, a highly soluble polymer, potato protein (PoP) and a physically-crosslinked potato protein microgel (PoPM) of ∼100 nm in diameter, prepared from the PoP, a byproduct of the starch industry, were compared for their ability to coat LC droplets. Although both PoP and PoPM were capable of reducing the interfacial tension between water and n-tetradecane <30 mN m-1, PoPM-coated LC droplets showed better stability than the PoP-coated droplets via a Pickering-like mechanism. Strikingly, the Pickering LC droplets outperformed PoP-stabilized droplets in terms of dynamic response with 5× lower detection limit to model chemical analytes (sodium dodecyl sulphate, SDS) due to the difference in SDS-binding features between the protein and the microgel. To eliminate the effect of size polydispersity on the response, monodisperse Pickering LC droplets of diameter ∼16 μm were additionally obtained using microfluidics, which mirrored the response to chemical as well as biological analytes, i.e., primary bile acid, an important biomarker of liver diseases. We demonstrate that these eco-friendly microgels used for creating monodisperse, ultra-stable, LC complex colloids are powerful templates for fabricating next generation, sustainable optical sensors for early diagnosis in clinical settings and other sensing applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shikha Aery
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Advanced Studies in Chemistry, Panjab University Chandigarh 160014 India
- Food Colloids and Bioprocessing Group, School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Adele Parry
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Andrea Araiza-Calahorra
- Food Colloids and Bioprocessing Group, School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Stephen D Evans
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Helen F Gleeson
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Abhijit Dan
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Advanced Studies in Chemistry, Panjab University Chandigarh 160014 India
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology, Simhat Haringhata West Bengal 741249 India
| | - Anwesha Sarkar
- Food Colloids and Bioprocessing Group, School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds LS2 9JT UK
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7
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Du X, Yang F, Liu Y, Gleeson HF, Luo D. Light-Driven Dynamic Hierarchical Architecture of Three-Dimensional Self-Assembled Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Droplets. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:1611-1618. [PMID: 36662286 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c03040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Cholesteric liquid crystals have attracted much attention in biosensors, in communication systems, security identification, hierarchical materials assembly, and microlasers, due to their complex and interesting structures accompanied by particular optical properties making them low-cost, label-free and sensitive. However, the reports of CLC droplets with stable topological configurations are still very limited, which hinders the fast development and broad application of CLC droplet-based devices. In this paper, we manifest light-driven changes in the topological configuration of cholesteric liquid crystals droplets, examined experimentally. Photoresponsive azo-LC doped CLC droplets were manipulated by irradiation by UV light to form novel topological configurations with stable 3D structures. The phenomenon behind the configuration changes is the light-induced cholesteric-isotropic phase transition that takes place in liquid crystals. Several topological configurations of CLC droplets have been demonstrated such as closed-ring structures with cone-shaped centers and concentric elliptical centers, and open-ring structures formed under unidirectional illumination of UV light. Structures with parallel CLC pitch lines at the center and with a central point singularity are also formed under multidirectional illumination. The competition of the elastic energy and surface energy of the CLC droplets results in the formation of the new topological configurations. All proposed configurations are stable and controllable by light, which enable CLC droplets with novel topological structures with new characteristics and provide a lot of potential applications in biosensors and microlasers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxue Du
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen518055, China
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Fei Yang
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen518055, China
| | - Yanjun Liu
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen518055, China
| | - Helen F Gleeson
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Dan Luo
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen518055, China
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8
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Wu L, Guo Z, Liu W. Surface behaviors of droplet manipulation in microfluidics devices. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 308:102770. [PMID: 36113310 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2022.102770] [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: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, the rapid development of microfluidic technology has caused a revolutionary impact in the fields of chemistry, medicine, and life sciences. Also, droplet control is one of the most important technologies in the field of microfluidics. In order to achieve different degrees of droplet transport, the dynamic balance of the competing processes of droplet driving force and fluid resistance should be controlled to achieve good selectivity of droplet transport. Here, we focus on the principles of droplet transport in microfluidic devices, including the driving forces for droplet transport in fluids and the effects of transport properties on droplet transport. After that, the effects of external fields on the directional transport of droplets and the advantages and disadvantages of each external field in droplet transport are discussed in detail. Finally, the applications and challenges of droplet microfluidics in chemical, biomedical, and mechanical systems are comprehensively introduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linshan Wu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for the Green Preparation and Application of Functional Materials, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiguang Guo
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for the Green Preparation and Application of Functional Materials, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, People's Republic of China; State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, People's Republic of China.
| | - Weimin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, People's Republic of China
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9
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Yeng MSM, Ayop SK, Sasaki K. Optical Manipulation of a Liquid Crystal (LC) Microdroplet by Optical Force. CRYSTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/crat.202200080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Muhamad Safuan Mat Yeng
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Mathematics Sultan Idris Education University Tanjong Malim Perak 35900 Malaysia
| | - Shahrul Kadri Ayop
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Mathematics Sultan Idris Education University Tanjong Malim Perak 35900 Malaysia
| | - Keiji Sasaki
- Research Institute for Electronic Science Hokkaido University Sapporo 0010020 Japan
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10
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Controlling Liquid Crystal Configuration and Phase Using Multiple Molecular Triggers. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27030878. [PMID: 35164141 PMCID: PMC8839850 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27030878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Liquid crystals are able to transform a local molecular interaction into a macroscopic change of state, making them a valuable "smart" material. Here, we investigate a novel polymeric amphiphile as a candidate for molecular triggering of liquid crystal droplets in aqueous background. Using microscopy equipped with crossed polarizers and optical tweezers, we find that the monomeric amphiphile is able to trigger both a fast phase change and then a subsequent transition from nematic to isotropic. We next include sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), a standard surfactant, with the novel amphiphilic molecules to test phase transitioning when both were present. As seen previously, we find that the activity of SDS at the surface can result in configuration changes with hysteresis. We find that the presence of the polymeric amphiphile reverses the hysteresis previously observed during such transitions. This work demonstrates a variety of phase and configuration changes of liquid crystals that can be controlled by multiple exogenous chemical triggers.
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11
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Farooq S, Ngaini Z. Mesomeric Effects of Azobenzene Bearing Natural Product-Based Molecules for Liquid Crystal Materials: An Overview. Curr Org Synth 2021; 18:318-332. [PMID: 32778031 DOI: 10.2174/1570179417666200810142857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Latest progress in the liquid crystal (LC) field related to azo molecules incorporated into natural product- based moieties for the improvement of LC texture and mesomeric phases has received great interest among researchers. A LC containing natural product-based moieties i.e. menthol, kojic acid, cholesterol and chalcone with stable azo and azobenzene scaffolds with specific optical tunability, has been widely used in photo-active materials such as Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), LC films, smart windows and other devices. This review discusses the influence of azobenzene, a renowned photo-responsive and stable LC scaffold, in mesogenic phases due to photo-isomerization and optical switching. The incorporation of mesomeric phases of natural product moieties to azo molecules has improved the properties of LC, i.e, from the nematic phase to the smectic phase with proper magnetic field alignment. Natural product-based LC can be useful in numerous applications, especially practical electronic or optic devices such as optical image storage, display devices, solar cells, optical switching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saba Farooq
- Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Zainab Ngaini
- Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
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12
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Kichatov B, Korshunov A, Sudakov V, Gubernov V, Golubkov A, Kiverin A. Self-Organization of Active Droplets into Vortex-like Structures. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:9892-9900. [PMID: 34347492 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c01615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Natural or artificial active objects can demonstrate mirror asymmetry of collective motion when they are moving coherently in a vortex. The majority of known cases related to the emergence of collective dynamical chirality are referred to as active objects with individual structure chirality and/or dynamical chirality. Here, we demonstrate that dynamically and structurally achiral active droplets can self-organize into vortex-like structures. Octane droplets dispersed in the aqueous solution of an anionic surfactant are activated with ammonia addition. The motion of droplets is due to the Marangoni flow emerging at the interfaces of the droplets. We found out that different modes of vortex motion of droplets in the emulsion can arise depending on the size of the region that confines the motion of the droplets and their number density and velocity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Kichatov
- Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey Korshunov
- Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladimir Sudakov
- Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141701 Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Vladimir Gubernov
- Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexandr Golubkov
- Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey Kiverin
- Joint Institute for High Temperatures, Russian Academy of Sciences, 125412 Moscow, Russia
- Moscow State Technical University by N.E. Bauman, 105005 Moscow, Russia
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13
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Senyuk B, Mozaffari A, Crust K, Zhang R, de Pablo JJ, Smalyukh II. Transformation between elastic dipoles, quadrupoles, octupoles, and hexadecapoles driven by surfactant self-assembly in nematic emulsion. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/25/eabg0377. [PMID: 34144988 PMCID: PMC8213233 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg0377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Emulsions comprising isotropic fluid drops within a nematic host are of interest for applications ranging from biodetection to smart windows, which rely on changes of molecular alignment structures around the drops in response to chemical, thermal, electric, and other stimuli. We show that absorption or desorption of trace amounts of common surfactants can drive continuous transformations of elastic multipoles induced by the droplets within the uniformly aligned nematic host. Out-of-equilibrium dynamics of director structures emerge from a controlled self-assembly or desorption of different surfactants at the drop-nematic interfaces, with ensuing forward and reverse transformations between elastic dipoles, quadrupoles, octupoles, and hexadecapoles. We characterize intertransformations of droplet-induced surface and bulk defects, probe elastic pair interactions, and discuss emergent prospects for fundamental science and applications of the reconfigurable nematic emulsions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bohdan Senyuk
- Department of Physics and Soft Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Ali Mozaffari
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Kevin Crust
- Department of Physics and Soft Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Rui Zhang
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Physics, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Juan J de Pablo
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
- Center for Molecular Engineering, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Ivan I Smalyukh
- Department of Physics and Soft Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
- Department of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute, National Renewable Energy Laboratory and University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
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14
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Kichatov B, Korshunov A, Sudakov V, Gubernov V, Yakovenko I, Kiverin A. Crystallization of Active Emulsion. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:5691-5698. [PMID: 33929856 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c00630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Active matter contains self-propelled units able to convert stored or ambient free energy into motion. Such systems demonstrate amazing features related to the phenomenon of self-organization and phase transitions and can be used for the development of artificial materials and machines that operate away from equilibrium. Significant advances in the fabrication of active matter were achieved when studying low-density gas and small crystallites. However, the technique of preparation of active matter, where one can observe the formation of stable crystals, is extremely challenging. Here, we describe the novel method to obtain a stable 2D crystal in the active octane-in-water emulsion during the process of heterogeneous crystallization. Active motion is driven by the Marangoni flow emerging at the interface of the droplet. It is established that the crystal volume increases linearly in time in the process of crystallization. Moreover, the dependence of the crystal growth rate on the average velocity of droplets motion in the emulsion has a maximum. The kinetics of crystal growth is defined by a competition between the processes of attachment and detachment of droplets from the crystal surface. Crystallization proceeds via condensation of droplets from the gas phase through the formation of liquid as an intermediate phase, which covers the crystal surface with a thin layer. Inside the liquid layer the bond-orientational order of droplets decreases from the crystal surface toward the gas phase. We anticipate our study to be a starting point for the development of new materials and technologies on the basis of nonequilibrium droplet systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Kichatov
- Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey Korshunov
- Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladimir Sudakov
- Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladimir Gubernov
- Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Ivan Yakovenko
- Bauman Moscow State Technical University, 105005 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey Kiverin
- Bauman Moscow State Technical University, 105005 Moscow, Russia
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15
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Kretzschmar I, Santore MM. Preface to the Advances in Active Materials Special Issue. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2020; 36:6859-6860. [PMID: 32600051 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c01739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
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