1
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Li B, Wu W, Lin JM, Wang T, Hu Q, Yu L. Water in liquid crystal emulsion-based sensing platform for colorimetric detection of organophosphorus pesticide. Food Chem 2024; 436:137732. [PMID: 37857198 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.137732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Development of a simple and convenient method for the rapid detection of organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) is particular important for the safety of environmental water and agriculture products. In this work, the water/liquid crystal (W/LC) emulsion is obtained via dispersing an aqueous solution of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and peroxidase from horseradish (HRP) into a water-immiscible nematic LC and employed as a sensing platform for the detection of dichlorvos (2, 2-dichlorovinyl dimethyl phosphate, DDVP) that is a typical OP with acute toxicity. Remarkably, the stepwise release of the encapsulated cargo HRP from the W/LC emulsion can be triggered upon the addition of the cationic surfactant myristoylcholine chloride (Myr) due to the strong interfacial charge interactions with the anionic surfactant SDS. The released HRP induces an obvious color change of the overlaying bulk aqueous solution via the H2O2-HRP-TMB reaction system. As Myr can be enzymatically cleaved by AChE, the detection of AChE is fulfilled successfully. This approach is also employed to detect DDVP that can irreversibly inhibit the activity of AChE. This assay shows a linear response between the absorbance of the oxidized TMB solution and the DDVP concentration in the range of 0.001-10 μg/mL (R2 = 0.99). The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantity (LOQ) of DDVP are determined to be 1.9 ng/mL and 6.3 ng/mL, respectively. In addition, this strategy also demonstrates excellent performance for the DDVP detection in real samples, the detection recovery rate of DDVP in water samples (lake water and tap water) and vegetables (tomatoes and cole) by this method is 88.0 % ∼112.6 %, the relative standard deviation (RSD) ≤ 7.5 %. These results suggest the W/LC emulsion-based sensing platform shows great potential for visual detection of DDVP in real samples. In conclusion, the proposed approach is scalable for practical application in food safety as well as environmental monitoring fields, and will provide promising solutions for the assay of pesticide residues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benyou Li
- Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry, Shandong University, Ministry of Education, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Wenli Wu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250014, China
| | - Jin-Ming Lin
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Petroleum Engineering Technology Research Institute of Shengli Oilfield, Sinopec, Dongying 257000, China
| | - Qiongzheng Hu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250014, China.
| | - Li Yu
- Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry, Shandong University, Ministry of Education, Jinan 250100, China.
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2
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Pani I, Sil S, Kaur R, Devi M, Pal SK. Dynamic Microparticle Assembly at the Interface of Chemoresponsive Liquid Crystal Droplets. Anal Chem 2024; 96:3780-3786. [PMID: 38407028 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c04555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
The confinement of liquid crystals (LCs) in spherical microdroplets results in exotic internal configurations and topological defects in response to physical and chemical stimuli. Recent exploration into the placement of colloids on the surface of LC microdroplets has led to the design of a new class of functional materials with patterned surface properties. It is established that the placement of a colloid on a LC droplet surface can pin the topological defect at the interface, thereby restricting changes in the LC configuration. Herein, we build upon the handful of reports published to provide a fundamental understanding of the colloid positioning in response to external stimuli. Using polystyrene (PS) colloids, we explored the dynamics of particle self-assembly in response to an interfacial enzymatic breakdown of poly-l-lysine by trypsin. We found that for a significant population of droplets, the positioning of the colloid is unaffected by the changes in the internal ordering of LC. Inspired by the new observations, we delved deeper to understand the role of interfacial stabilizers in modulating the preferential alignment of LC and the placement of colloidal microparticles. We also demonstrated that for a certain population of droplets, the positioning of the colloids remains unperturbed in response to multistep reversible adsorption of interfacial amphiphiles. Our findings reveal interesting possibilities of correlating the stimuli-responsive switching of internal configurations of LC with colloid placement on the particle-decorated LC droplets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ipsita Pani
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Punjab 140306, India
| | - Soma Sil
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Punjab 140306, India
| | - Rajwant Kaur
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Punjab 140306, India
| | - Manisha Devi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Punjab 140306, India
| | - Santanu Kumar Pal
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Punjab 140306, India
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3
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Piñeres-Quiñones OH, Oñate-Socarras MK, Wang F, Lynn DM, Acevedo-Vélez C. Pickering Emulsions of Thermotropic Liquid Crystals Stabilized by Amphiphilic Gold Nanoparticles. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024. [PMID: 38320298 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c03940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
We report emulsions of thermotropic liquid crystals (LCs) in water that are stabilized using amphiphilic gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and retain their ability to respond to aqueous analytes for extended periods (e.g., up to 1 year after preparation). These LC emulsions exhibit exceptional colloidal stability that results from the adsorption of AuNPs that are functionalized with thiol-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-thiol) and hexadecanethiol (C16-thiol) to LC droplet interfaces. These stabilized LC emulsions respond to the presence of model anionic (SDS), cationic (C12TAB), and nonionic (C12E4) surfactants in the surrounding aqueous media, as evidenced by ordering transitions in the LC droplets that can be readily observed using polarized light microscopy. Our results reveal significant differences in the sensitivity of the stabilized LC droplets toward each of these analytes. In particular, these stabilized droplets can detect the cationic C12TAB at concentrations that are lower than those required for bare LC droplets under similar experimental conditions (0.5 and 2 mM, respectively). These results demonstrate an enhanced sensitivity of the LC toward C12TAB when the PEG/C16-thiol-coated AuNPs are adsorbed at LC droplet interfaces. In contrast, the concentrations of SDS required to observe optical transformations in the stabilized LC droplets are higher than those required for the bare LC droplets, suggesting that the presence of the PEG/C16-thiol AuNPs reduces the sensitivity of the LC toward this analyte. When combined, our results show that this Pickering stabilization approach using amphiphilic AuNPs as stabilizing agents for LC-in-water emulsions provides a promising platform for developing LC droplet-based optical sensors with long-term colloidal stability as well as opportunities to tune the sensitivity and selectivity of the response to target aqueous analytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar H Piñeres-Quiñones
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez, Call Box 9000, Mayagüez, PR 00681-9000, United States
| | - Maria K Oñate-Socarras
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez, Call Box 9000, Mayagüez, PR 00681-9000, United States
| | - Fengrui Wang
- Department of Chemistry, 1101 University Avenue, University of Wisconsin─Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - David M Lynn
- Department of Chemistry, 1101 University Avenue, University of Wisconsin─Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, 1415 Engineering Drive, University of Wisconsin─Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Claribel Acevedo-Vélez
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez, Call Box 9000, Mayagüez, PR 00681-9000, United States
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4
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Kato T, Uchida J, Ishii Y, Watanabe G. Aquatic Functional Liquid Crystals: Design, Functionalization, and Molecular Simulation. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2306529. [PMID: 38126650 PMCID: PMC10885670 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202306529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Aquatic functional liquid crystals, which are ordered molecular assemblies that work in water environment, are described in this review. Aquatic functional liquid crystals are liquid-crystalline (LC) materials interacting water molecules or aquatic environment. They include aquatic lyotropic liquid crystals and LC based materials that have aquatic interfaces, for example, nanoporous water treatment membranes that are solids preserving LC order. They can remove ions and viruses with nano- and subnano-porous structures. Columnar, smectic, bicontinuous LC structures are used for fabrication of these 1D, 2D, 3D materials. Design and functionalization of aquatic LC sensors based on aqueous/LC interfaces are also described. The ordering transitions of liquid crystals induced by molecular recognition at the aqueous interfaces provide distinct optical responses. Molecular orientation and dynamic behavior of these aquatic functional LC materials are studied by molecular dynamics simulations. The molecular interactions of LC materials and water are key of these investigations. New insights into aquatic functional LC materials contribute to the fields of environment, healthcare, and biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Kato
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
- Research Initiative for Supra-Materials, Shinshu University, Nagano, 380-8553, Japan
| | - Junya Uchida
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
| | - Yoshiki Ishii
- Department of Data Science, School of Frontier Engineering, Kitasato University, Sagamihara, 252-0373, Japan
| | - Go Watanabe
- Department of Data Science, School of Frontier Engineering, Kitasato University, Sagamihara, 252-0373, Japan
- Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (KISTEC), Ebina, 243-0435, Japan
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5
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Sezer S, Bukusoglu E. Nanoparticle-Assisted Liquid Crystal Droplet Sensors Enable Analysis of Low-Concentration Species in Aqueous Medium. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024. [PMID: 38296829 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c03598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
We introduce nanoparticle-assisted liquid crystal (LC) droplet-based sensors that allow determination of low-level concentrations of aqueous soluble species. The silica nanoparticles functionalized with mixed monolayers composed of two distinct groups, hydrophobic alkane tail- and charged group-terminated silanes, facilitated ternary physical interactions between the model analytes (methylene blue (MB) or methyl orange (MO)) and the nematic mesogens 5CB (4-cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl), and the interfacial species of the nanoparticle. The response of the LC droplets was measured upon nanoparticle adsorption as a function of analyte concentration, which was characterized by the optical determination of the configuration distributions of the LC droplets. We highlight the importance of the charging and the composition of the nanoparticle interfaces for analytical purposes that allow accurate determination of the concentration of the analytes on the order of 0.01 ppb. Such a low concentration corresponds to a low interfacial coverage of nanoparticles, indicating the promisingly high sensitivity of the sensor platform to target analytes. Distinct from the past examples of the LC-based sensors, the nanoparticle-assisted LC sensors allow detection of the species that do not directly cause an ordering transition at the LC-water interfaces, which allow a broader range of analytical targets. The sensor platform that we report herein can be easily tunable for a range of target molecules and will find use in the determination of a wide range of micropollutants in aqueous environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selda Sezer
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Dumlupinar Bulvari No. 1, Cankaya, Ankara 06800, Turkey
- Akcadag Vocational School, Laboratory and Veterinary Health Program, Malatya Turgut Ozal University, Dogu Mahallesi No: 42/1, Akcadag, Malatya 44600, Turkey
| | - Emre Bukusoglu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Dumlupinar Bulvari No. 1, Cankaya, Ankara 06800, Turkey
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6
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Zhang G, Zhao W, Liu W, Zhou J, Wu Z. A Cytidine-Modified surfactant anchored liquid crystal Droplet-Based sensor for rapid and accurate detection of silver ions. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 650:58-66. [PMID: 37392500 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.06.111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystal (LC) droplets exhibit unique and sensitive response behaviors to surface absorptions, making them promising candidates for sensing aplications. Here, we have developed a label-free, portable, and cost-effective sensor for the specific and rapid detection of silver ions (Ag+) in drinking-water samples. To achieve this, we have modified cytidine into a surfactant (denoted as C10-M-C) and anchored it onto the surface of LC droplets. The specific binding ability between cytidine and Ag+ enables LC droplets anchored with C10-M-C to respond rapidly and specifically to Ag+ ions. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the response meets requirements for the harmless concentration of Ag+ in drinking-water. The sensor we developed is label-free, portable, and cost-effectively. We believe that the sensor reported here can be applied to the detection of Ag+ in drinking-water and environmental samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guannan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-sensing and Chemo-metrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenting Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-sensing and Chemo-metrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenzhao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-sensing and Chemo-metrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-sensing and Chemo-metrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaoyang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-sensing and Chemo-metrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, People's Republic of China.
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7
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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: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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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8
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Shadkami R, Chan PK. Computational Analysis on the Performance of Elongated Liquid Crystal Biosensors. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:1831. [PMID: 37893268 PMCID: PMC10609392 DOI: 10.3390/mi14101831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Elongated ellipsoidal liquid crystal microdroplet reorientation dynamics are discussed in this paper for biosensor applications. To investigate the effect of elongated droplets on nematic liquid crystal droplet biosensors, we simulated a model of a liquid crystal droplet using ellipse geometry. Director reorientation is examined in relation to the elongated droplet shape. In addition, we examined aspect ratio as a factor affecting biosensor response time in relation to surface viscosity and anchoring energy. Finally, the findings suggest that the aspect ratio should be taken into account when designing biosensors. These results can be used to develop more effective biosensors for a variety of applications. This model then predicts the director reorientation angle, which is dependent on the anchoring energy and surface viscosity. This model further suggests that both surface viscosity and homeotropic anchoring energy play an important role when it comes to the director reorientation angle. We developed and applied a nonlinear unsteady-state mathematical model utilizing torque balance and Frank free energy according to the Leslie-Ericksen continuum theory for simulating elongated nematic liquid crystal biosensor droplets with aqueous interfaces. Using the Euler-Lagrange equation, a transient liquid crystal-aqueous interface realignment is modeled by changing the easy axis when surfactant molecules are added to the interface. The realignment at the surface of the droplet is assumed to be driven by the effect of the surfactant, which causes an anchoring transition. According to the results, the response time of the biosensor depends on the aspect ratio. Therefore, the elongation has the potential to control biosensing response time. The result of our study provides a better understanding of director reorientation in elongated liquid crystal droplets in biosensing applications through the numerical results which are presented in this paper.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Philip K. Chan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Toronto Metropolitan University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada;
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9
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Concellón A. Liquid Crystal Emulsions: A Versatile Platform for Photonics, Sensing, and Active Matter. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023:e202308857. [PMID: 37694542 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202308857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
The self-assembly of liquid crystals (LCs) is a fascinating method for controlling the organization of discrete molecules into nanostructured functional materials. Although LCs are traditionally processed in thin films, their confinement within micrometre-sized droplets has recently revealed new properties and functions, paving the way for next-generation soft responsive materials. These recent findings have unlocked a wealth of unprecedented applications in photonics (e.g. reflectors, lasing materials), sensing (e.g. biomolecule and pathogen detection), soft robotics (e.g. micropumps, artificial muscles), and beyond. This Minireview focuses on recent developments in LC emulsion designs and highlights a variety of novel potential applications. Perspectives on the opportunities and new directions for implementing LC emulsions in future innovative technologies are also provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Concellón
- Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA), CSIC-Universidad de Zaragoza, C/Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009, Zaragoza, Spain
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10
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Palacio-Betancur V, Armas-Pérez JC, Hernández-Ortiz JP, de Pablo JJ. Curvature and confinement effects on chiral liquid crystal morphologies. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:6066-6073. [PMID: 37318304 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm00437f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Chiral liquid crystals (ChLCs) exhibit an inherent twist that originates at the molecular scale and can extend over multiple length scales when unconstrained. Under confinement, the twist is thwarted, leading to formation of defects in the molecular order that offer distinct optical responses and opportunities for colloidal driven assembly. Past studies have explored spheroidal confinement down to the nanoscopic regime, where curved boundaries produce surface defects to accommodate topological constraints and restrict the propagation of cuboidal defect networks. Similarly, strict confinement in channels and shells has been shown to give rise to escaped configurations and skyrmions. However, little is known about the role of extrinsic curvature in the development of cholesteric textures and Blue Phases (BP). In this paper, we examine the palette of morphologies that arises when ChLCs are confined in toroidal and cylindrical cavities. The equilibrium morphologies are obtained following an annealing strategy of a Landau-de Gennes free energy functional. Three dimensionless groups are identified to build phase diagrams: the natural twist, the ratio of elastic energies, and the circumscription of a BP cell. Curvature is shown to introduce helical features that are first observed as a Double Twist, and progress to Chiral Ribbons and, ultimately, Helical BP and BP. Chiral ribbons are examined as useful candidates for driven assembly given their tunability and robustness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julio C Armas-Pérez
- División de Ciencias e Ingenierías, Campus León, Universidad de Guanajuato, Loma del Bosque 103, León (Gto.) 37150, Mexico
| | - Juan P Hernández-Ortiz
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
- Departamento de Materiales y Minerales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia-Sede Medellín, Medellín, Colombia.
- Colombia/Wisconsin One-Health Consortium, Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Medellín, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Juan J de Pablo
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
- Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
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11
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Akman A, Bukusoglu E. Understanding directed assembly of concentrated nanoparticles at energetically heterogeneous interfaces of cholesteric liquid crystal droplets. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 649:772-784. [PMID: 37385042 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.06.143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Colloidal self-assembly has gained significant interest in scientific and technological advances. We investigated the self-assembly of the colloids at fluidic interfaces that mediate elastic interactions. Whereas past studies have reported the assembly of micrometer- or molecular-sized species at aqueous interfaces of liquid crystals (LCs), herein we study the assembly of intermediate-sized nanoparticles. Specifically, surface-modified silica nanoparticles (50 to 500 nm) were adsorbed at the liquid crystal-water interfaces and their positioning was investigated using electron microscopy after polymerization. The study revealed that the electric double layer forces and the elastic forces caused by LC strain are dominant in the assembly of nanoparticles and their contributions can be tuned to direct the self-assembly guided by the sub-interface symmetry of confined cholesteric LCs. At high ionic strengths, we observed a strong localization of nanoparticles at the defects, whereas intermediate strengths resulted in their partial enrichment into cholesteric fingerprint patterns with an interaction energy of ≈3 kBT. This result is comparable with the calculations based on the strength of the binary interactions of the nanoparticles. The findings also support the role of ion partitioning at the LC-aqueous interfaces on the formation of the assemblies. The results can be utilized for applications in sensors, microelectronics, and photonics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Akman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Dumlupınar Bulvarı No.1 Çankaya, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - Emre Bukusoglu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Dumlupınar Bulvarı No.1 Çankaya, Ankara 06800, Turkey.
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12
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Patel M, Alvarez-Fernandez A, Fornerod MJ, Radhakrishnan ANP, Taylor A, Ten Chua S, Vignolini S, Schmidt-Hansberg B, Iles A, Guldin S. Liquid Crystal-Templated Porous Microparticles via Photopolymerization of Temperature-Induced Droplets in a Binary Liquid Mixture. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:20404-20411. [PMID: 37323413 PMCID: PMC10268013 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c00490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Porous polymeric microspheres are an emerging class of materials, offering stimuli-responsive cargo uptake and release. Herein, we describe a new approach to fabricate porous microspheres based on temperature-induced droplet formation and light-induced polymerization. Microparticles were prepared by exploiting the partial miscibility of a thermotropic liquid crystal (LC) mixture composed of 4-cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl (5CB, unreactive mesogens) with 2-methyl-1,4-phenylene bis4-[3-(acryloyloxy)propoxy] benzoate (RM257, reactive mesogens) in methanol (MeOH). Isotropic 5CB/RM257-rich droplets were generated by cooling below the binodal curve (20 °C), and the isotropic-to-nematic transition occurred after cooling below 0 °C. The resulting 5CB/RM257-rich droplets with radial configuration were subsequently polymerized under UV light, resulting in nematic microparticles. Upon heating the mixture, the 5CB mesogens underwent a nematic-isotropic transition and eventually became homogeneous with MeOH, while the polymerized RM257 preserved its radial configuration. Repeated cycles of cooling and heating resulted in swelling and shrinking of the porous microparticles. The use of a reversible materials templating approach to obtain porous microparticles provides new insights into binary liquid manipulation and potential for microparticle production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehzabin Patel
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University College
London, London, WC1E 7JE, United
Kingdom
| | | | | | | | - Alaric Taylor
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University College
London, London, WC1E 7JE, United
Kingdom
| | - Singg Ten Chua
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, United
Kingdom
| | - Silvia Vignolini
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, United
Kingdom
| | - Benjamin Schmidt-Hansberg
- Chemical
& Process Engineering, Coating & Film Processing, BASF SE, 67056 Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany
| | - Alexander Iles
- Lab-on-a-Chip
Research Group, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, United Kingdom
| | - Stefan Guldin
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University College
London, London, WC1E 7JE, United
Kingdom
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13
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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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14
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Lin L, Li W, Wang X, Xie Y, Li Y, Wu Z. Functional Liquid Crystal Core/Hydrogel Shell Microcapsules for Monitoring Live Cells in a 3D Microenvironment. Anal Chem 2023; 95:2750-2756. [PMID: 36599406 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c03762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture, even as a simple microspheroid model, can be used to recapitulate the native biological microenvironment of cells. Examining the biochemical characteristics of cells in multicellular hydrogel microspheroids using microsensors is usually limited to monitoring the medium around the microspheroids. Here, functional liquid crystal (LC) core/hydrogel shell microcapsules loaded with cells were prepared using droplet microfluidic technology for monitoring live cells in a 3D microenvironment. These microcapsules have a distinctive core/shell structure; cells can be cultured in the hydrogel shell of this 3D model. The functional LC core responds to the acidic microenvironment of cells, showing an axial-to-bipolar transfiguration. 3D cell culture and visual monitoring of the cell microenvironment can be simultaneously achieved in a single microcapsule. Therefore, this novel method may enable a standard approach for monitoring multiple ions or molecules in a 3D model of the cell microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Lin
- Department of Bioengineering, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Weiwei Li
- Department of Chemistry, Beijing Key Laboratory of Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xiaorui Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Yaoshuang Xie
- Department of Bioengineering, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Yuxuan Li
- Department of Chemistry, Beijing Key Laboratory of Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Zengnan Wu
- Department of Chemistry, Beijing Key Laboratory of Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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15
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Guo S, Tao H, Gao G, Mhatre S, Lu Y, Takagi A, Li J, Mo L, Rojas OJ, Chu G. All-Aqueous Bicontinuous Structured Liquid Crystal Emulsion through Intraphase Trapping of Cellulose Nanoparticles. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:367-376. [PMID: 36479984 PMCID: PMC9832472 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Here, we describe the all-aqueous bicontinuous emulsions with cholesteric liquid crystal domains through hierarchical colloidal self-assembly of nanoparticles. This is achieved by homogenization of a rod-like cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) with two immiscible, phase separating polyethylene glycol (PEG) and dextran polymer solutions. The dispersed CNCs exhibit unequal affinity for the binary polymer mixtures that depends on the balance of osmotic and chemical potential between the two phases. Once at the critical concentration, CNC particles are constrained within one component of the polymer phases and self-assemble into a cholesteric organization. The obtained liquid crystal emulsion demonstrates a confined three-dimensional percolating bicontinuous network with cholesteric self-assembly of CNC within the PEG phase; meanwhile, the nanoparticles in the dextran phase remain isotropic instead. Our results provide an alternative way to arrest bicontinuous structures through intraphase trapping and assembling of nanoparticles, which is a viable and flexible route to extend for a wide range of colloidal systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shasha Guo
- School
of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Pulp
and Paper Engineering, South China University
of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China,Bioproducts
Institute, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Department
of Chemistry and Department of Wood Science, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Han Tao
- Bio-based
Colloids and Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems,
School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, Vuorimiehentie 1, Espoo 02510, Finland
| | - Guang Gao
- Department
of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Sameer Mhatre
- Bioproducts
Institute, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Department
of Chemistry and Department of Wood Science, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Yi Lu
- Bioproducts
Institute, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Department
of Chemistry and Department of Wood Science, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Ayako Takagi
- Bioproducts
Institute, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Department
of Chemistry and Department of Wood Science, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Jun Li
- School
of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Pulp
and Paper Engineering, South China University
of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Lihuan Mo
- School
of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Pulp
and Paper Engineering, South China University
of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Orlando J. Rojas
- Bioproducts
Institute, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Department
of Chemistry and Department of Wood Science, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada,Bio-based
Colloids and Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems,
School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, Vuorimiehentie 1, Espoo 02510, Finland,, . Phone: +358503080661
| | - Guang Chu
- Bio-based
Colloids and Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems,
School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, Vuorimiehentie 1, Espoo 02510, Finland,. Phone: +1-604-822-3457
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16
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Norouzi S, Zhang R, Munguia-Fernández JG, de Pablo L, Zhou Y, Taheri-Qazvini N, Shapiro H, Morin S, Martinez-Gonzalez JA, Sadati M, de Pablo JJ. Director Distortion and Phase Modulation in Deformable Nematic and Smectic Liquid Crystal Spheroids. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:15272-15281. [PMID: 36454950 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c02461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The growing interest in integrating liquid crystals (LCs) into flexible and miniaturized technologies brings about the need to understand the interplay between spatially curved geometry, surface anchoring, and the order associated with these materials. Here, we integrate experimental methods and computational simulations to explore the competition between surface-induced orientation and the effects of deformable curved boundaries in uniaxially and biaxially stretched nematic and smectic microdroplets. We find that the director field of the nematic LCs upon uniaxial strain reorients and forms a larger twisted defect ring to adjust to the new deformed geometry of the stretched droplet. Upon biaxial extension, the director field initially twists in the now oblate geometry and subsequently transitions into a uniform vertical orientation at high strains. In smectic microdroplets, on the other hand, LC alignment transforms from a radial smectic layering to a quasi-flat layering in a compromise between interfacial and dilatation forces. Upon removing the mechanical strain, the smectic LC recovers its initial radial configuration; however, the oblate geometry traps the nematic LC in the metastable vertical state. These findings offer a basis for the rational design of LC-based flexible devices, including wearable sensors, flexible displays, and smart windows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepideh Norouzi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
| | - Rui Zhang
- Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon 999077, Hong Kong
| | - Juan G Munguia-Fernández
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Av. Parque Chapultepec 1580, San Luis Potosí 78295, México
| | - Luis de Pablo
- University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, 1362 E 59th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Ye Zhou
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Nader Taheri-Qazvini
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
| | - Harrison Shapiro
- University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, 1362 E 59th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Samuel Morin
- University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, 1362 E 59th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Jose A Martinez-Gonzalez
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Av. Parque Chapultepec 1580, San Luis Potosí 78295, México
| | - Monirosadat Sadati
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
| | - Juan J de Pablo
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
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17
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Stabilizing liquid crystal droplets with hydrogel films and its application in monitoring adenosine triphosphate. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2022.130122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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18
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Han WC, Kim YB, Lee YJ, Kim DS. Exploring multiphase liquid crystal polymeric droplets created by a partial phase-separation. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2022.130124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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19
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Kumari A, Singh H, Dhawan S, Bhardwaj SK, Haridas V, Sinha A. Liquid crystal droplet design by using pseudopeptidic bottlebrush polymer additives. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:7838-7849. [PMID: 36200443 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00953f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystal (LC) droplets are promising candidates for sensing applications due to their high sensitivity to surface anchoring changes, resulting in readily detectable optical effects. Herein, we have designed and synthesized amino acid-based bottlebrush polymers and investigated their impact on LC director configurations in the droplets. The pseudopeptidic bottlebrush polymers with an aromatic (phenyl) and aliphatic appendages are synthesized using ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). Polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) samples are prepared by employing pseudopeptidic bottlebrush polymers and 4-cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl (5CB) LC via solvent-induced phase separation (SIPS) technique. Due to π-π stacking, the phenyl group favours radial configuration, whereas the repulsion between 5CB and aliphatic groups induces molecular alignment leading to bipolar droplet arrangement. The impact of various pendant groups attached to the polymer on the prepared PDLC sample's surface characteristics and free energy components is illustrated. The sensing capability of 5CB dispersed in pseudopeptidic bottlebrush polymers for various pH solutions is investigated using polarizing optical microscopy (POM). The PDLC samples are moderately permeable to water and sensitive to different pH solutions. The results demonstrate a simplified and straightforward approach for preparing LC-based biosensors and chemical sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asha Kumari
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India.
| | - Hanuman Singh
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India.
| | - Sameer Dhawan
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India.
| | - Surya Kant Bhardwaj
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India.
| | - V Haridas
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India.
| | - Aloka Sinha
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India.
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20
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Paterson DA, Du X, Bao P, Parry AA, Peyman SA, Sandoe JAT, Evans SD, Luo D, Bushby RJ, Jones JC, Gleeson HF. Chiral nematic liquid crystal droplets as a basis for sensor systems. MOLECULAR SYSTEMS DESIGN & ENGINEERING 2022; 7:607-621. [PMID: 36876150 PMCID: PMC9972830 DOI: 10.1039/d1me00189b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
For a series of phospholipid coated calamitic nematic liquid crystal droplets (5CB, 6CB, 7CB, E7 and MLC7023) of diameter ∼18 μm, the addition of chiral dopant leaves the sign of surface anchoring unchanged. Herein we report that for these chiral nematic droplets an analyte induced transition from a Frank-Pryce structure (with planar anchoring) to a nested-cup structure (with perpendicular anchoring) is accompanied by changes in the intensity of reflected light. We propose this system as both a general scheme for understanding director fields in chiral nematic liquid crystal droplets with perpendicular anchoring and as an ideal candidate to be utilised as the basis for developing cheap, single use LC-based sensor devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Paterson
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Xiaoxue Du
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen 518055 China
| | - Peng Bao
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Adele A Parry
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Sally A Peyman
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
- Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | | | - Stephen D Evans
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Dan Luo
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen 518055 China
| | | | - J Cliff Jones
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Helen F Gleeson
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
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21
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de Araújo CB, de Oliveira EJL, Lyra ML, Mirantsev LV, de Oliveira IN. Formation of topological defects in nematic shells with a dumbbell-like shape. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:4189-4196. [PMID: 35605981 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00378c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The present study investigates dumbbell-shaped nematic liquid crystal shells. Using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we consider the effects of an external electric field on nematic ordering by computing the average molecular alignment's time evolution and equilibrium configuration. We show that the number and location of topological defects are strongly affected by the external field, with the orientational ordering's equilibrium configuration depending on field direction about the shell's long axis. For a transverse external field, it is verified that the defect rearrangement presents a non-linear dynamics, with a field independent characteristic time scale delimiting the short and long time regimes. Effects associated with varying the shell's Gaussian curvature are also analyzed.
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Affiliation(s)
- C B de Araújo
- Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL, Brazil.
| | - E J L de Oliveira
- Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL, Brazil.
| | - M L Lyra
- Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL, Brazil.
| | - L V Mirantsev
- Institute for Problems of Mechanical Engineering, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - I N de Oliveira
- Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL, Brazil.
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22
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Development and Application of Liquid Crystals as Stimuli-Responsive Sensors. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27041453. [PMID: 35209239 PMCID: PMC8877457 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27041453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
This focused review presents various approaches or formats in which liquid crystals (LCs) have been used as stimuli-responsive sensors. In these sensors, the LC molecules adopt some well-defined arrangement based on the sensor composition and the chemistry of the system. The sensor usually consists of a molecule or functionality in the system that engages in some form of specific interaction with the analyte of interest. The presence of analyte brings about the specific interaction, which then triggers an orientational transition of the LC molecules, which is optically discernible via a polarized optical image that shows up as dark or bright, depending on the orientation of the LC molecules in the system (usually a homeotropic or planar arrangement). The various applications of LCs as biosensors for glucose, protein and peptide detection, biomarkers, drug molecules and metabolites are extensively reviewed. The review also presents applications of LC-based sensors in the detection of heavy metals, anionic species, gases, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), toxic substances and in pH monitoring. Additionally discussed are the various ways in which LCs have been used in the field of material science. Specific attention has been given to the sensing mechanism of each sensor and it is important to note that in all cases, LC-based sensing involves some form of orientational transition of the LC molecules in the presence of a given analyte. Finally, the review concludes by giving future perspectives on LC-based sensors.
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23
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Şengül S, Aydoğan N, Bukusoglu E. Nanoparticle adsorption induced configurations of nematic liquid crystal droplets. J Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 608:2310-2320. [PMID: 34774320 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2021.10.156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Nematic liquid crystal (LC) droplets have been widely used for the detection of molecular species. We investigate the response of micrometer sized nematic LC droplets against the adsorption of nanoparticles from aqueous media. We synthesized ∼ 100 nm-in-diameter silica nanoparticles and modified their surfaces to mediate either planar or homeotropic LC anchoring and a pH-dependent charge. We show surface functionality- and concentration-dependent configurations of the droplets consistent with the change in the surface anchoring and the formation of local heterogeneities upon adsorption of the nanoparticles to LC-aqueous interfaces. The adsorption of nanoparticles modified with dimethyloctadecyl [3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl] ammonium chloride (DMOAP, homeotropic) exhibit a transition from bipolar to radial, whereas the adsorption of -COOH-terminated counterparts (planar) did not cause a configuration transition. By manipulating the electrostatic interactions, we controlled the adsorption of the nanoparticles to the LC-aqueous interfaces, providing access to the physicochemical properties of the nanoparticles. We demonstrate a temporal change in the droplet configurations caused by the adsorption of the nanoparticles functionalized with -COOH/DMOAP mixed monolayers. These results provide a basis for studies in applications for the detection of nano-sized species, for sensing applications that combine nanoparticles with LCs, and for the synthesis of anisotropic composite particles with complex structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selin Şengül
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Dumlupınar Bulvarı No:1, Çankaya 06800, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Nihal Aydoğan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Hacettepe University, Beytepe 06800, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Emre Bukusoglu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Dumlupınar Bulvarı No:1, Çankaya 06800, Ankara, Turkey.
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24
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Piñeres-Quiñones OH, Lynn DM, Acevedo-Vélez C. Environmentally Responsive Emulsions of Thermotropic Liquid Crystals with Exceptional Long-Term Stability and Enhanced Sensitivity to Aqueous Amphiphiles. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:957-967. [PMID: 35001623 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c02278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We report colloidally stable emulsions of thermotropic liquid crystals (LCs) that can detect the presence of amphiphilic analytes in aqueous environments. Our approach makes use of a Pickering stabilization strategy consisting of surfactant-nanoparticle complexes (SiO2/CnTAB, n = 8, 12, 16) that adsorb to aqueous/LC droplet interfaces. This strategy can stabilize LC emulsions against coalescence for at least 3 months. These stabilized LC emulsions also retain the ability to respond to the presence of model anionic, cationic, and nonionic amphiphiles (e.g., SDS, C12TAB, C12E4) in aqueous solutions by undergoing "bipolar-to-radial" changes in LC droplet configurations that can be readily observed and quantified using polarized light microscopy. Our results reveal these ordering transitions to depend upon the length of the hydrocarbon tail of the CnTAB surfactant used to form the stabilizing complexes. In general, increasing CnTAB surfactant tail length leads to droplets that respond at lower analyte concentrations, demonstrating that this Pickering stabilization strategy can be used to tune the sensitivities of the stabilized LC droplets. Finally, we demonstrate that these colloidally stable LC droplets can report the presence of rhamnolipid, a biosurfactant produced by the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Overall, our results demonstrate that this Pickering stabilization strategy provides a useful tool for the design of LC droplet-based sensors with substantially improved colloidal stability and new strategies to tune their sensitivities. These advances could increase the potential practical utility of these responsive soft materials as platforms for the detection and reporting of chemical and biological analytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar H Piñeres-Quiñones
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez, Call Box 9000, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico 00681-9000, United States
| | - David M Lynn
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Ave., Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Claribel Acevedo-Vélez
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez, Call Box 9000, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico 00681-9000, United States
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25
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Lee SR, Reichmanis E, Srinivasarao M. Anisotropic Responsive Microgels Based on the Cholesteric Phase of Chitin Nanocrystals. ACS Macro Lett 2022; 11:96-102. [PMID: 35574788 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.1c00675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Anisotropic stimuli-responsive microgels based upon the cholesteric phase of chitin nanocrystals and N-isopropylacrylamide were designed and synthesized. The cholesteric structure was interrogated, and the texture was shown to directly influence the microgel shape and anisotropy. Changes in the microgel volume led to changes in the texture, where microgels comprising up to six bands exhibited a twisted bipolar texture, while those with greater volumes displayed a concentric-packing structure. As designed, the imprinted cholesteric phase induced an asymmetric response to temperature, leading to a change in shape and optical properties. Furthermore, the cholesteric structure is able to deform, facilitating transport into a small channel. Access to synthetic structures having a self-assembled twisted texture derived from cholesterics embedded within a polymer matrix will provide guidelines for designing biopolymer composites with programmable motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujin R. Lee
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Elsa Reichmanis
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - Mohan Srinivasarao
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
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26
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Tsuei M, Sun H, Kim YK, Wang X, Gianneschi NC, Abbott NL. Interfacial Polyelectrolyte-Surfactant Complexes Regulate Escape of Microdroplets Elastically Trapped in Thermotropic Liquid Crystals. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:332-342. [PMID: 34967209 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c02580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Polyelectrolytes adsorbed at soft interfaces are used in contexts such as materials synthesis, stabilization of emulsions, and control of rheology. Here, we explore how polyelectrolyte adsorption to aqueous interfaces of thermotropic liquid crystals (LCs) influences surfactant-stabilized aqueous microdroplets that are elastically trapped within the LCs. We find that adsorption of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) to the interface of a nematic phase of 4-cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl (5CB) triggers the ejection of microdroplets decorated with sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS), consistent with an attractive electrical double layer interaction between the microdroplets and LC interface. The concentration of PDDA that triggers release of the microdroplets (millimolar), however, is three orders of magnitude higher than that which saturates the LC interfacial charge (micromolar). Observation of a transient reorientation of the LC during escape of microdroplets leads us to conclude that complexes of PDDA and SDS form at the LC interface and thereby regulate interfacial charge and microdroplet escape. Poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) also triggers escape of dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB)-decorated aqueous microdroplets from 5CB with dynamics consistent with the formation of interfacial polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes. In contrast to PDDA-SDS, however, we do not observe a transient reorientation of the LC when using PSS-DTAB, reflecting weak association of DTAB and PSS and slow kinetics of formation of PSS-DTAB complexes. Our results reveal the central role of polyelectrolyte-surfactant dynamics in regulating the escape of the microdroplets and, more broadly, that LCs offer the basis of a novel probe of the structure and properties of polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes at interfaces. We demonstrate the utility of these new insights by triggering the ejection of microdroplets from LCs using peptide-polymer amphiphiles that switch their net charge upon being processed by enzymes. Overall, our results provide fresh insight into the formation of polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes at aqueous-LC interfaces and new principles for the design of responsive soft matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Tsuei
- Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Hao Sun
- Department of Chemistry, Materials Science & Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical & Biomedical Engineering, University of New Haven, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, United States
| | - Young-Ki Kim
- Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyengbuk 37673, Korea
| | - Xin Wang
- Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Nathan C Gianneschi
- Department of Chemistry, Materials Science & Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Nicholas L Abbott
- Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
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Pal SK, Pani I, Nailwal Y, Dutta S. Tailoring Liquid Crystals as Vehicles for Encapsulation and Enzyme-Triggered Release. J Mater Chem B 2022; 10:3032-3038. [DOI: 10.1039/d2tb00098a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Nanoscale assemblies of amphiphiles have been vividly explored in pharmaceutical formulations as drug nanocarriers. Aqueous interfaces of liquid crystals (LCs) are known to direct the self-assembly of a range of...
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28
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Naveenkumar PM, Singh RK, Mann S, Seth JR, Sharma KP. Polymer-Surfactant Driven Interactions and the Resultant Microstructure in Protein-Containing Liquid Crystal Droplets. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:11949-11960. [PMID: 34612656 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c00960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Integration of molecular liquid crystals (LCs) with functional proteins can provide new class of materials for potential applications in optical biosensing. However, hydrophobic nematic LCs (length ∼ 1-2 nm) and hydrophilic proteins, size ∼ O (nm), do not intermix without chemical modification of at least one of them. Bioconjugation of proteins with a polyethylene glycol-based polymeric surfactant (PS) can provide a core-shell system that is sequestered within nonaqueous LC (4-cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl) microdroplets. However, the nature of interactions between the components and detailed understanding of the resultant hybrid microstructure remains unclear. Here, using a combination of isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), fluorescence microscopy, and infrared-imaging spectroscopy, we show that strong hydrophobic interactions between the LC and PS drives the sequestration of a myoglobin-PS (Mb-PS; dispersed in the aqueous phase) into the LC spherical microdroplets or even into a bulk LC phase. The average values of both, the binding constant and the standard molar enthalpy change, are increased by approximately a factor of 2.5 times when the unmodified Mb is conjugated to the PS. Small-angle X-ray scattering studies reveal that LC molecules act as a solvent for the Mb-PS conjugate; furthermore, the LC long-range order is disturbed due to mixing, as exemplified by the change in its coherence length from 8.9 to 5.7 nm. Detailed all-atomistic molecular dynamic simulations for a three-component PS-water-LC system show a change in interaction energy of -144 kJ mol-1 PS-1 upon the contact of PS chains (initially dispersed in water) with LC and agree with the ITC experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Raju Kumar Singh
- Centre for Research in Nanotechnology and Science, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Stephen Mann
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, U.K
| | - Jyoti R Seth
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Kamendra P Sharma
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
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29
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Chen CW, Yang ZY, Yang HC, Hsieh YZ, Liu C, Chuang YC, Lee JJ, Rwei SP, Hsu IJ, Chen HH. Enhanced redox property of polymer blends containing liquid crystalline molecules and their application in electrochemical sensing. POLYMER 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2021.124162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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30
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Tsuei M, Tran H, Roh S, Ober CK, Abbott NL. Using Liquid Crystals to Probe the Organization of Helical Polypeptide Brushes Induced by Solvent Pretreatment. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c01125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Tsuei
- Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Hai Tran
- Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Sangchul Roh
- Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Christopher K. Ober
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Nicholas L. Abbott
- Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
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31
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Concellón A, Fong D, Swager TM. Complex Liquid Crystal Emulsions for Biosensing. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:9177-9182. [PMID: 34110131 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c04115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Herein we describe a highly responsive optical biosensor based on dynamic complex liquid crystal (LC) emulsions. These emulsions are simple to prepare and consist of immiscible chiral nematic liquid crystals (N*) and fluorocarbon oils. In this work, we exploit the N* selective reflection to build a new sensing paradigm. Our detection strategy is based on changes in the LC/water interfacial activity of boronic acid polymeric surfactants caused by reversible interactions with IgG antibodies at the LC interface. Such biomolecular recognition events can vary the pitch length of the N* organization due to the presence of binaphthyl units in the polymeric structure, which are known to be powerful chiral dopants. We demonstrate that these interface-triggered reflection changes can be used as an effective optical read-out for the detection of the foodborne pathogen Salmonella.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Concellón
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Darryl Fong
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Timothy M Swager
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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Pani I, K M FN, Sharma M, Pal SK. Probing Nanoscale Lipid-Protein Interactions at the Interface of Liquid Crystal Droplets. NANO LETTERS 2021; 21:4546-4553. [PMID: 34048245 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c05139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Aqueous interfaces of liquid crystals (LCs) are widely explored in the design of functional interfaces to recapitulate the key aspects of biomolecular interactions in cellular milieu. Herein, using aqueous LC dispersions, we explore the interactions between mitochondrial cardiolipin and membrane-associated cytochrome c which play a pivotal role in the apoptotic signaling cascade. Conventional techniques used to decipher LC ordering at the droplet interface fail to give information about the interactions at a molecular level. Besides, owing to the complexity of LC systems and multiple determinants driving the LC reorientation, accurate analysis of the underlying mechanism responsible for the LC ordering transition remains challenging. Using a combination of atomistic simulations and microscopic and spectroscopic readouts, for the first time, we unveil the lipid-protein interactions that drive the reorientation at the LC droplet interface. The insights from our work are fundamental to the design of these interfaces for a spectrum of interfacial applications.
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Wang Z, Xu T, Noel A, Chen YC, Liu T. Applications of liquid crystals in biosensing. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:4675-4702. [PMID: 33978639 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm02088e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystals (LCs), as a promising branch of highly-sensitive, quick-response, and low-cost materials, are widely applied to the detection of weak external stimuli and have attracted significant attention. Over the past decade, many research groups have been devoted to developing LC-based biosensors due to their self-assembly potential and functional diversity. In this paper, recent investigations on the design and application of LC-based biosensors are reviewed, based on the phenomenon that the orientation of LCs can be directly influenced by the interactions between biomolecules and LC molecules. The sensing principle of LC-based biosensors, as well as their signal detection by probing interfacial interactions, is described to convert, amplify, and quantify the information from targets into optical and electrical parameters. Furthermore, commonly-used LC biosensing targets are introduced, including glucose, proteins, enzymes, nucleic acids, cells, microorganisms, ions, and other micromolecules that are critical to human health. Due to their self-assembly potential, chemical diversity, and high sensitivity, it has been reported that tunable stimuli-responsive LC biosensors show bright perspectives and high superiorities in biological applications. Finally, challenges and future prospects are discussed for the fabrication and application of LC biosensors to both enhance their performance and to realize their promise in the biosensing industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyihui Wang
- School of Precision Instrument and Opto-Electronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.
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34
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Sheng M, Zhang L, Jiang S, Yang L, Zaaboul F, Fu S. Bioinspired Electro-Responsive Multispectral Controllable Dye-Doped Liquid Crystal Yolk-Shell Microcapsules for Advanced Textiles. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:13586-13595. [PMID: 33715345 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystal microcapsules have attracted increasing attention due to their sophisticated structures and adjustable multifunctional features. However, the synthesis of a microscale substrate with wide electromagnetic waveband modulation characteristics and good photoelectric stabilization is still limited and challenging. Herein, a new breed of microcapsules containing dye-doped liquid crystals in a yolk-shell configuration with VTES (vinyl-trim-ethyl-silane)-modified Fe3O4@SiO2 is created. It exhibits an unexpected color enhancement effect, reversible electrochromic performance, and excellent magnetically controllable characteristics. Additionally, a multispectral (visible light, near-infrared light, and high-frequency electromagnetic wave) electro-responsive fabric based on the proposed microcapsules was developed to explore its application in wearable sensors. The present work opens an avenue toward the fabrication of microscale microencapsulated soft materials with a continuous and stable yolk-shell structure. Moreover, it will expand the application regimes of liquid crystal materials in smart windows and advanced textiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingfei Sheng
- Key Laboratory of Science & Technology of Eco-Textile, Jiangnan University, Ministry of Education, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Liping Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Science & Technology of Eco-Textile, Jiangnan University, Ministry of Education, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Shan Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Science & Technology of Eco-Textile, Jiangnan University, Ministry of Education, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Li Yang
- Key Laboratory of Science & Technology of Eco-Textile, Jiangnan University, Ministry of Education, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Farah Zaaboul
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Shaohai Fu
- Key Laboratory of Science & Technology of Eco-Textile, Jiangnan University, Ministry of Education, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
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35
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Bao P, Paterson DA, Peyman SA, Jones JC, Sandoe JAT, Gleeson HF, Evans SD, Bushby RJ. Production of giant unilamellar vesicles and encapsulation of lyotropic nematic liquid crystals. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:2234-2241. [PMID: 33469638 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm01684e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
We describe a modified microfluidic method for making Giant Unilamellar Vesicles (GUVs) via water/octanol-lipid/water double emulsion droplets. At a high enough lipid concentration we show that the de-wetting of the octanol from these droplets occurs spontaneously (off-chip) without the need to use shear to aid the de-wetting process. The resultant mixture of octanol droplets and GUVs can be separated by making use of the buoyancy of the octanol. A simpler microfluidic device and pump system can be employed and, because of the higher flow-rates and much higher rate of formation of the double emulsion droplets (∼1500 s-1 compared to up to ∼75 s-1), it is easier to make larger numbers of GUVs and larger volumes of solution. Because of the potential for using GUVs that incorporate lyotropic nematic liquid crystals in biosensors we have used this method to make GUVs that incorporate the nematic phases of sunset yellow and disodium chromoglycate. However, the phase behaviour of these lyotropic liquid crystals is quite sensitive to concentration and we found that there is an unexpected spread in the concentration of the contents of the GUVs obtained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Bao
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Daniel A Paterson
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK and School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Sally A Peyman
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK and Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - J Cliff Jones
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Jonathan A T Sandoe
- Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Helen F Gleeson
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Stephen D Evans
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
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36
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Han X, Han D, Zeng J, Deng J, Hu N, Yang J. Fabrication and performance of monodisperse liquid crystal droplet-based microchips for the on-chip detection of bile acids. Microchem J 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2020.105057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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37
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Paterson DA, Bao P, Abou-Saleh RH, Peyman SA, Jones JC, Sandoe JAT, Evans SD, Gleeson HF, Bushby RJ. Control of Director Fields in Phospholipid-Coated Liquid Crystal Droplets. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2020; 36:6436-6446. [PMID: 32392071 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c00651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In liquid crystal (LC) droplets, small changes in surface anchoring energy can produce large changes in the director field which result in readily detectable optical effects. This makes them attractive for use as biosensors. Coating LC droplets with a phospholipid monolayer provides a bridge between the hydrophobic world of LCs and the water-based world of biology and makes it possible to incorporate naturally occurring biosensor systems. However, phospholipids promote strong perpendicular (homeotropic) anchoring that can inhibit switching of the director field. We show that the tendency for phospholipid layers to promote perpendicular anchoring can be suppressed by using synthetic phospholipids in which the acyl chains are terminated with bulky tert-butyl or ferrocenyl groups; the larger these end-group(s), the less likely the system is to be perpendicular/radial. Additionally, the droplet director field is found to be dependent on the nature of the LC, particularly its intrinsic surface properties, but not (apparently) on the sign of the dielectric anisotropy, the proximity to the melting/isotropic phase transition, the surface tension (in air), or the values of the Frank elastic constants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Paterson
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Peng Bao
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Radwa H Abou-Saleh
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
- Biophysics Group, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Sally A Peyman
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
- School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - J Cliff Jones
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Jonathan A T Sandoe
- Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Stephen D Evans
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Helen F Gleeson
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
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Esteves C, Ramou E, Porteira ARP, Barbosa AJM, Roque ACA. Seeing the Unseen: The Role of Liquid Crystals in Gas-Sensing Technologies. ADVANCED OPTICAL MATERIALS 2020; 8:1902117. [PMID: 32612901 PMCID: PMC7329384 DOI: 10.1002/adom.201902117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Fast, real-time detection of gases and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is an emerging research field relevant to most aspects of modern society, from households to health facilities, industrial units, and military environments. Sensor features such as high sensitivity, selectivity, fast response, and low energy consumption are essential. Liquid crystal (LC)-based sensors fulfill these requirements due to their chemical diversity, inherent self-assembly potential, and reversible molecular order, resulting in tunable stimuliresponsive soft materials. Sensing platforms utilizing thermotropic uniaxial systems-nematic and smectic-that exploit not only interfacial phenomena, but also changes in the LC bulk, are demonstrated. Special focus is given to the different interaction mechanisms and tuned selectivity toward gas and VOC analytes. Furthermore, the different experimental methods used to transduce the presence of chemical analytes into macroscopic signals are discussed and detailed examples are provided. Future perspectives and trends in the field, in particular the opportunities for LC-based advanced materials in artificial olfaction, are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Esteves
- UCIBIO, Departamento de Química Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia Universidade Nova de Lisboa Caparica 2829-516, Portugal
| | - Efthymia Ramou
- UCIBIO, Departamento de Química Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia Universidade Nova de Lisboa Caparica 2829-516, Portugal
| | - Ana Raquel Pina Porteira
- UCIBIO, Departamento de Química Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia Universidade Nova de Lisboa Caparica 2829-516, Portugal
| | - Arménio Jorge Moura Barbosa
- UCIBIO, Departamento de Química Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia Universidade Nova de Lisboa Caparica 2829-516, Portugal
| | - Ana Cecília Afonso Roque
- UCIBIO, Departamento de Química Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia Universidade Nova de Lisboa Caparica 2829-516, Portugal
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39
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Fuster HA, Wang X, Wang X, Bukusoglu E, Spagnolie SE, Abbott NL. Programming van der Waals interactions with complex symmetries into microparticles using liquid crystallinity. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eabb1327. [PMID: 32596470 PMCID: PMC7304970 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abb1327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Asymmetric interactions such as entropic (e.g., encoded by nonspherical shapes) or surface forces (e.g., encoded by patterned surface chemistry or DNA hybridization) provide access to functional states of colloidal matter, but versatile approaches for engineering asymmetric van der Waals interactions have the potential to expand further the palette of materials that can be assembled through such bottom-up processes. We show that polymerization of liquid crystal (LC) emulsions leads to compositionally homogeneous and spherical microparticles that encode van der Waals interactions with complex symmetries (e.g., quadrupolar and dipolar) that reflect the internal organization of the LC. Experiments performed using kinetically controlled probe colloid adsorption and complementary calculations support our conclusion that LC ordering can program van der Waals interactions by ~20 k B T across the surfaces of microparticles. Because diverse LC configurations can be engineered by confinement, these results provide fresh ideas for programming van der Waals interactions for assembly of soft matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- H. A. Fuster
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Xin Wang
- Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Xiaoguang Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - E. Bukusoglu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - S. E. Spagnolie
- Department of Mathematics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - N. L. Abbott
- Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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40
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Real-time, quantitative and sensitive detection of urea by whispering gallery mode lasing in liquid crystal microdroplet. Talanta 2020; 209:120513. [DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2019.120513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2019] [Revised: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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41
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Stable and Metastable Patterns in Chromonic Nematic Liquid Crystal Droplets Forced with Static and Dynamic Magnetic Fields. CRYSTALS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/cryst10020138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Spherical confinement of nematic liquid crystals leads to the formation of equilibrium director field configurations that include point and line defects. Driving these materials with flows or dynamic fields often results in the formation of alternative metastable states. In this article, we study the effect of magnetic field alignment, both under static and dynamic conditions, of nematic gems (nematic droplets in coexistence with the isotropic phase) and emulsified nematic droplets of a lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal. We use a custom polarizing optical microscopy assembly that incorporates a permanent magnet whose strength and orientation can be dynamically changed. By comparing simulated optical patterns with microscopy images, we measure an equilibrium twisted bipolar pattern within nematic gems that is only marginally different from the one reported for emulsified droplets. Both systems evolve to concentric configurations upon application of a static magnetic field, but behave very differently when the field is rotated. While the concentric texture within the emulsified droplets is preserved and only displays asynchronous oscillations for high rotating speeds, the nematic gems transform into a metastable untwisted bipolar configuration that is memorized by the system when the field is removed. Our results demonstrate the importance of boundary conditions in determining the dynamic behavior of confined liquid crystals even for configurations that share similar equilibrium bulk structures.
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Tsuei M, Shivrayan M, Kim YK, Thayumanavan S, Abbott NL. Optical “Blinking” Triggered by Collisions of Single Supramolecular Assemblies of Amphiphilic Molecules with Interfaces of Liquid Crystals. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:6139-6148. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b13360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Tsuei
- Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Manisha Shivrayan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Young-Ki Kim
- Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - S. Thayumanavan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Nicholas L. Abbott
- Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
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43
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Park CS, Iwabata K, Sridhar U, Tsuei M, Singh K, Kim YK, Thayumanavan S, Abbott NL. A New Strategy for Reporting Specific Protein Binding Events at Aqueous-Liquid Crystal Interfaces in the Presence of Non-Specific Proteins. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:7869-7878. [PMID: 31825195 PMCID: PMC7368459 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b16867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Aqueous-liquid crystal (LC) interfaces offer promise as responsive interfaces at which biomolecular recognition events can be amplified into macroscopic signals. However, the design of LC interfaces that distinguish between specific and non-specific protein interactions remains an unresolved challenge. Herein, we report the synthesis of amphiphilic monomers, dimers, and trimers conjugated to sulfonamide ligands via triazole rings, their assembly at aqueous-LC interfaces, and the orientational response of LCs to the interactions of carbonic anhydrase II (CAII) and serum albumin with the oligomer-decorated LC interfaces. Of six oligomers synthesized, only dimers without amide methylation were found to assemble at aqueous interfaces of nematic 4-cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl (5CB) to induce perpendicular LC orientations. At dimer-decorated LC interfaces, we found that concentrations of CAII less than 4 μM did not measurably perturb the LC but prevented non-specific adsorption and penetration of serum albumin into the dimer-decorated interface that otherwise triggered bright, globular LC optical domains. These experiments and others (including competitive adsorption of CAII, BSA, and lysozyme) support our hypothesis that specific binding of CAII to the dimer prevents LC anchoring transitions triggered by non-specific adsorption of serum albumin. We illustrate the utility of the approach by reporting (i) the relative activity of two small-molecule inhibitors (6-ethoxy-2-benzothiazolesulfonamide and benzenesulfonamide) of CAII to sulfonamide and (ii) proteolytic digestion of a protein (CAII) by thermolysin. Overall, the results in this paper provide new insight into the interactions of proteins at aqueous-LC interfaces and fresh ideas for either blocking non-specific interactions of proteins at surfaces or reporting specific binding events at LC interfaces in the presence of non-specific proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chul Soon Park
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Kazuki Iwabata
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Uma Sridhar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Michael Tsuei
- Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Khushboo Singh
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Young-ki Kim
- Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Korea
| | - S. Thayumanavan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Nicholas L. Abbott
- Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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Duan R, Li Y, He Y, Yuan Y, Li H. Quantitative and sensitive detection of lipase using a liquid crystal microfiber biosensor based on the whispering-gallery mode. Analyst 2020; 145:7595-7602. [DOI: 10.1039/d0an01187h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate a quantitative and sensitive strategy for monitoring the lipase concentration using a liquid crystal microfiber biosensor based on the whispering-gallery mode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Duan
- College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering
- Harbin Engineering University
- Harbin 150001
- China
- Key Lab of In-fiber Integrated Optics
| | - Yanzeng Li
- James Franck Institute
- University of Chicago
- Chicago
- USA
| | - Yichen He
- College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering
- Harbin Engineering University
- Harbin 150001
- China
| | - Yonggui Yuan
- College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering
- Harbin Engineering University
- Harbin 150001
- China
- Key Lab of In-fiber Integrated Optics
| | - Hanyang Li
- College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering
- Harbin Engineering University
- Harbin 150001
- China
- Key Lab of In-fiber Integrated Optics
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Wang X, Zhou Y, Palacio-Betancur V, Kim YK, Delalande L, Tsuei M, Yang Y, de Pablo JJ, Abbott NL. Reconfigurable Multicompartment Emulsion Drops Formed by Nematic Liquid Crystals and Immiscible Perfluorocarbon Oils. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2019; 35:16312-16323. [PMID: 31652070 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b02864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystalline (LC) oils offer the basis of stimuli-responsive LC-in-water emulsions. Although past studies have explored the properties of single-phase LC emulsions, few studies have focused on complex multicompartment emulsions containing co-existing isotropic and LC domains. In this paper, we report a study of multiphase emulsions using LCs and immiscible perfluoroalkanes dispersed in water or glycerol (the latter continuous phase is used to enable characterization). We found that the nematogen 4'-pentyl-4-biphenylcarbonitrile (5CB) anchors homeotropically (perpendicularly) and weakly at liquid perfluorononane (F9) interfaces, consistent with the smectic layering of 5CB molecules. The proposed role of smectic layering is supported by experiments performed with 4-(trans-4-pentylcyclohexyl)benzonitrile, a nematogen that possesses a cyclohexyl group that frustrates the smectic packing and leads to tilted orientations at the F9 interface. By employing perfluorocarbon and hydrocarbon surfactants in combination with multiphase 5CB and F9 emulsion droplets dispersed in a continuous water or glycerol phase, we observe a range of emulsion droplet morphologies to form, including core-shell and Janus structures, with internal organizations that reflect an interplay of interfacial (anchoring energies; F9 and glycerol) and elastic energies within the confines of the geometry of the emulsion droplet. By comparing experimental observations to simulations of the LC-perfluorocarbon droplets based on a Landau-de Gennes model of the free energy, we place bounds on the orientation-dependent interfacial energies that underlie the internal ordering of these complex emulsions. Additionally, by forming core-shells emulsion droplets from 5CB (shell) and perfluoroheptane (cores), we demonstrate how a liquid-to-vapor phase transition in the perfluorocarbon core can be used to actuate the droplet and rapidly thin the nematic shell. Overall, the results reported in this paper demonstrate that multiphase LC emulsions formed from mixtures of perfluoroalkanes and LCs provide new opportunities to engineer hierarchical and stimuli-responsive emulsion systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wang
- Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , Cornell University , Ithaca , New York 14850 , United States
| | - Ye Zhou
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering , University of Chicago , Chicago , Illinois 60637 , United States
| | - Viviana Palacio-Betancur
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering , University of Chicago , Chicago , Illinois 60637 , United States
| | - Young-Ki Kim
- Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , Cornell University , Ithaca , New York 14850 , United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering , Pohang University of Science and Technology , Pohang , Gyengbuk 37673 , Korea
| | - Lily Delalande
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering , University of Chicago , Chicago , Illinois 60637 , United States
| | - Michael Tsuei
- Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , Cornell University , Ithaca , New York 14850 , United States
| | - Yu Yang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering , University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison , Wisconsin 53706 , United States
| | - Juan J de Pablo
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering , University of Chicago , Chicago , Illinois 60637 , United States
- Center for Molecular Engineering , Argonne National Laboratory , Lemont , Illinois 60439 , United States
| | - Nicholas L Abbott
- Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , Cornell University , Ithaca , New York 14850 , United States
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Duan R, Li Y, Li H, Yang J. Detection of heavy metal ions using whispering gallery mode lasing in functionalized liquid crystal microdroplets. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2019; 10:6073-6083. [PMID: 31853386 PMCID: PMC6913396 DOI: 10.1364/boe.10.006073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Revised: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate a detection method for heavy metal (HM) ions based on whispering gallery mode (WGM) lasing in a liquid crystal (LC) microdroplet biosensor. By doping with stearic acid, nematic LC 4-cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl (5CB) microdroplets are biochemically functionalized and used as both optical microresonators and sensing elements. Typical WGM lasing emission is observed in stearic acid-doped 5CB microdroplets under a pulse laser pump. Our results show that quantitative spectral shift of WGMs can serve as a real-time indicator of the adsorption of HM ions on the microdroplet surface. The detection limit of our sensor is as low as 40 pM for Cu(II) ions, six orders of magnitude better than the exposure threshold defined by the World Health Organization. Furthermore, this sensing system has an ability to discriminate between heavy and light metal ions. We believe that this novel biosensor has great application potential for environmental monitoring and drinking water quality testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Duan
- College of Physics and Photoelectric Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, China
- Key Lab of In-fiber Integrated Optics, Ministry Education of China, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150080, China
| | - Yanzeng Li
- Department of Physics and Optical Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina 28223-0001, USA
| | - Hanyang Li
- College of Physics and Photoelectric Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, China
- Key Lab of In-fiber Integrated Optics, Ministry Education of China, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150080, China
- Department of Physics and Optical Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina 28223-0001, USA
| | - Jun Yang
- Key Lab of In-fiber Integrated Optics, Ministry Education of China, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150080, China
- School of Information Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510008, China
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Duan R, Li Y, Li H, Yang J. Real-time monitoring of the enzymatic reaction of urease by using whispering gallery mode lasing. OPTICS EXPRESS 2019; 27:35427-35436. [PMID: 31878714 DOI: 10.1364/oe.27.035427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
A new strategy is reported here to monitor the enzymatic reactions in real time by using whispering gallery mode (WGM) lasing. The optical microcavity is formed via the self-assembly of an ultraviolet (UV)-treated nematic liquid crystal (LC) 4-cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl (5CB). The single UV-treated 5CB microdroplet serves as both optical resonator and sensing reactor. The microdroplet configuration transitions induced wavelength shift in the WGM lasing spectra can be used as an indicator for the enzymatic reaction. The proposed sensor has a sub-microgram detection limit of urease (∼0.5 µg/ml), which is lower than the detection limit of currently available urease sensor based on LC materials. Our experimental results demonstrate that WGM lasing has unique advantages in the real-time monitoring of enzymatic reactions compared, for instance, with observation of the optical appearance under a polarized optical microscope.
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Concellón A, Zentner CA, Swager TM. Dynamic Complex Liquid Crystal Emulsions. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:18246-18255. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b09216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Concellón
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Cassandra A. Zentner
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Timothy M. Swager
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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Kim YK, Noh J, Nayani K, Abbott NL. Soft matter from liquid crystals. SOFT MATTER 2019; 15:6913-6929. [PMID: 31441481 DOI: 10.1039/c9sm01424a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystals (LCs) are fluids within which molecules exhibit long-range orientational order, leading to anisotropic properties such as optical birefringence and curvature elasticity. Because the ordering of molecules within LCs can be altered by weak external stimuli, LCs have been widely used to create soft matter systems that respond optically to electric fields (LC display), temperature (LC thermometer) or molecular adsorbates (LC chemical sensor). More recent studies, however, have moved beyond investigations of optical responses of LCs to explore the design of complex LC-based soft matter systems that offer the potential to realize more sophisticated functions (e.g., autonomous, self-regulating chemical responses to mechanical stimuli) by directing the interactions of small molecules, synthetic colloids and living cells dispersed within the bulk of LCs or at their interfaces. These studies are also increasingly focusing on LC systems driven beyond equilibrium states. This review presents one perspective on these advances, with an emphasis on the discovery of fundamental phenomena that may enable new technologies. Three areas of progress are highlighted; (i) directed assembly of amphiphilic molecules either within topological defects of LCs or at aqueous interfaces of LCs, (ii) templated polymerization in LCs via chemical vapor deposition, an approach that overcomes fundamental challenges related to control of LC phase behavior during polymerization, and (iii) studies of colloids in LCs, including chiral colloids, soft colloids that are strained by LCs, and active colloids that are driven into organized states by dissipation of energy (e.g. bacteria). These examples, and key unresolved issues discussed at the end of this perspective, serve to convey the message that soft matter systems that integrate ideas from LC, surfactant, polymer and colloid sciences define fertile territory for fundamental studies and creation of future transformative technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young-Ki Kim
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, 113 Ho Plaza, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA. and Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-Gu, Pohang, Gyengbuk 37673, Korea
| | - JungHyun Noh
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, 113 Ho Plaza, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
| | - Karthik Nayani
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, 113 Ho Plaza, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
| | - Nicholas L Abbott
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, 113 Ho Plaza, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
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Agarose dispersed liquid crystals as a soft sensing platform for detecting mercuric ions in water. RESEARCH ON CHEMICAL INTERMEDIATES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s11164-019-03978-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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