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Polev K, Paneru G, Visyn V, Cybulski O, Lach S, Kolygina DV, Edel E, Grzybowski BA. Light-Driven, Dynamic Assembly of Micron-To-Centimeter Parts, Micromachines and Microbot Swarms. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2402263. [PMID: 38924658 PMCID: PMC11348064 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202402263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
This work describes light-driven assembly of dynamic formations and functional particle swarms controlled by appropriately programmed light patterns. The system capitalizes on the use of a fluidic bed whose low thermal conductivity assures that light-generated heat remains "localized" and sets strong convective flows in the immediate vicinity of the particles being irradiated. In this way, even low-power laser light or light from a desktop slide projector can be used to organize dynamic formations of objects spanning four orders of magnitude in size (from microns to centimeters) and over nine orders of magnitude in terms of mass. These dynamic assemblies include open-lattice structures with individual particles performing intricate translational and/or rotational motions, density-gradient particle arrays, nested architectures of mechanical components (e.g., planetary gears), or swarms of light-actuated microbots controlling assembly of other objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantin Polev
- Center for Algorithmic and Robotized Synthesis (CARS)Korea's Institute for Basic Science (IBS)Ulsan44919South Korea
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringUlsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)Ulsan44919South Korea
| | - Govind Paneru
- Center for Algorithmic and Robotized Synthesis (CARS)Korea's Institute for Basic Science (IBS)Ulsan44919South Korea
- Department of PhysicsUlsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)Ulsan44919South Korea
| | - Valentin Visyn
- Center for Algorithmic and Robotized Synthesis (CARS)Korea's Institute for Basic Science (IBS)Ulsan44919South Korea
| | - Olgierd Cybulski
- Center for Algorithmic and Robotized Synthesis (CARS)Korea's Institute for Basic Science (IBS)Ulsan44919South Korea
| | - Slawomir Lach
- Center for Algorithmic and Robotized Synthesis (CARS)Korea's Institute for Basic Science (IBS)Ulsan44919South Korea
| | - Diana V. Kolygina
- Center for Algorithmic and Robotized Synthesis (CARS)Korea's Institute for Basic Science (IBS)Ulsan44919South Korea
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringUlsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)Ulsan44919South Korea
| | - Evelyn Edel
- Center for Algorithmic and Robotized Synthesis (CARS)Korea's Institute for Basic Science (IBS)Ulsan44919South Korea
| | - Bartosz A. Grzybowski
- Center for Algorithmic and Robotized Synthesis (CARS)Korea's Institute for Basic Science (IBS)Ulsan44919South Korea
- Department of ChemistryUlsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)Ulsan44919South Korea
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2
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Lyu P, Broer DJ, Liu D. Advancing interactive systems with liquid crystal network-based adaptive electronics. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4191. [PMID: 38760356 PMCID: PMC11101476 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48353-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Achieving adaptive behavior in artificial systems, analogous to living organisms, has been a long-standing goal in electronics and materials science. Efforts to integrate adaptive capabilities into synthetic electronics traditionally involved a typical architecture comprising of sensors, an external controller, and actuators constructed from multiple materials. However, challenges arise when attempting to unite these three components into a single entity capable of independently coping with dynamic environments. Here, we unveil an adaptive electronic unit based on a liquid crystal polymer that seamlessly incorporates sensing, signal processing, and actuating functionalities. The polymer forms a film that undergoes anisotropic deformations when exposed to a minor heat pulse generated by human touch. We integrate this property into an electric circuit to facilitate switching. We showcase the concept by creating an interactive system that features distributed information processing including feedback loops and enabling cascading signal transmission across multiple adaptive units. This system responds progressively, in a multi-layered cascade to a dynamic change in its environment. The incorporation of adaptive capabilities into a single piece of responsive material holds immense potential for expediting progress in next-generation flexible electronics, soft robotics, and swarm intelligence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengrong Lyu
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, 5612 AZ, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, 5612 AZ, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Dirk J Broer
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, 5612 AZ, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, 5612 AZ, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Danqing Liu
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, 5612 AZ, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, 5612 AZ, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
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3
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Senyuk B, Wu JS, Smalyukh II. Out-of-equilibrium interactions and collective locomotion of colloidal spheres with squirming of nematoelastic multipoles. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2322710121. [PMID: 38652740 PMCID: PMC11067049 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2322710121] [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: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Many living and artificial systems show similar emergent behavior and collective motions on different scales, starting from swarms of bacteria to synthetic active particles, herds of mammals, and crowds of people. What all these systems often have in common is that new collective properties like flocking emerge from interactions between individual self-propelled or driven units. Such systems are naturally out-of-equilibrium and propel at the expense of consumed energy. Mimicking nature by making self-propelled or externally driven particles and studying their individual and collective motility may allow for deeper understanding of physical underpinnings behind collective motion of large groups of interacting objects or beings. Here, using a soft matter system of colloids immersed into a liquid crystal, we show that resulting so-called nematoelastic multipoles can be set into a bidirectional locomotion by external oscillating electric fields. Out-of-equilibrium elastic interactions between such colloidal objects lead to collective flock-like behaviors emerging from time-varying elasticity-mediated interactions between externally driven propelling particles. Repulsive elastic interactions in the equilibrium state can be turned into attractive interactions in the out-of-equilibrium state under applied external electric fields. We probe this behavior at different number densities of colloidal particles and show that particles in dense dispersions collectively select the same direction of a coherent motion due to elastic interactions between near neighbors. In our experimentally implemented design, their motion is highly ordered and without clustering or jamming often present in other colloidal transport systems, which is promising for technological and fundamental-science applications, like nano-cargo transport, out-of-equilibrium assembly, and microrobotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bohdan Senyuk
- Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO80309
- International Institute for Sustainability with Knotted Chiral Meta Matter (WPI-SKCM), Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima739-0046, Japan
| | - Jin-Sheng Wu
- Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO80309
| | - Ivan I. Smalyukh
- Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO80309
- International Institute for Sustainability with Knotted Chiral Meta Matter (WPI-SKCM), Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima739-0046, Japan
- Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO80309
- Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute, National Renewable Energy Laboratory and University of Colorado, Boulder, CO80309
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4
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Xu W, Tao Y, Xu H, Wen J. Theoretical trends in the dynamics simulations of molecular machines across multiple scales. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:4828-4839. [PMID: 38235540 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp05201j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Over the past few decades, molecular machines have been extensively studied, since they are composed of single molecules for functional materials capable of responding to external stimuli, enabling motion at scales ranging from the microscopic to the macroscopic level within molecular aggregates. This advancement holds the potential to efficiently transform external resources into mechanical movement, achieved through precise control of conformational changes in stimuli-responsive materials. However, the underlying mechanism that links microscopic and macroscopic motions remains unclear, demanding computational development associated with simulating the construction of molecular machines from single molecules. This bottleneck has impeded the design of more efficient functional materials. Advancements in theoretical simulations have successfully been developed in various computational models to unveil the operational mechanisms of stimulus-responsive molecular machines, which could help us reduce the costs in experimental trial-and-error procedures. It opens doors to the computer-aided design of innovative functional materials. In this perspective, we have reviewed theoretical approaches employed in simulating dynamic processes involving conformational changes in molecular machines, spanning different scales and environmental conditions. In addition, we have highlighted current challenges and anticipated future trends in the collective control of aggregates within molecular machines. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive overview of recent theoretical advancements in the field of molecular machines, offering valuable insights for the design of novel smart materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijia Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.
| | - Yuanda Tao
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.
| | - Haoyang Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.
| | - Jin Wen
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.
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5
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Jiang J, Wang X, Akomolafe OI, Tang W, Asilehan Z, Ranabhat K, Zhang R, Peng C. Collective transport and reconfigurable assembly of nematic colloids by light-driven cooperative molecular reorientations. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2221718120. [PMID: 37040402 PMCID: PMC10119998 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2221718120] [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: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Nanomotors in nature have inspired scientists to design synthetic molecular motors to drive the motion of microscale objects by cooperative action. Light-driven molecular motors have been synthesized, but using their cooperative reorganization to control the collective transport of colloids and to realize the reconfiguration of colloidal assembly remains a challenge. In this work, topological vortices are imprinted in the monolayers of azobenzene molecules which further interface with nematic liquid crystals (LCs). The light-driven cooperative reorientations of the azobenzene molecules induce the collective motion of LC molecules and thus the spatiotemporal evolutions of the nematic disclination networks which are defined by the controlled patterns of vortices. Continuum simulations provide physical insight into the morphology change of the disclination networks. When microcolloids are dispersed in the LC medium, the colloidal assembly is not only transported and reconfigured by the collective change of the disclination lines but also controlled by the elastic energy landscape defined by the predesigned orientational patterns. The collective transport and reconfiguration of colloidal assemblies can also be programmed by manipulating the irradiated polarization. This work opens opportunities to design programmable colloidal machines and smart composite materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinghua Jiang
- Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui230026, China
| | - Xinyu Wang
- Department of Physics, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong99999, China
| | | | - Wentao Tang
- Department of Physics, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong99999, China
| | - Zhawure Asilehan
- Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui230026, China
| | - Kamal Ranabhat
- Department of Physics and Materials Science, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN38152
| | - Rui Zhang
- Department of Physics, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong99999, China
| | - Chenhui Peng
- Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui230026, China
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6
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Ma LL, Li CY, Pan JT, Ji YE, Jiang C, Zheng R, Wang ZY, Wang Y, Li BX, Lu YQ. Self-assembled liquid crystal architectures for soft matter photonics. LIGHT, SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS 2022; 11:270. [PMID: 36100592 PMCID: PMC9470592 DOI: 10.1038/s41377-022-00930-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Self-assembled architectures of soft matter have fascinated scientists for centuries due to their unique physical properties originated from controllable orientational and/or positional orders, and diverse optic and photonic applications. If one could know how to design, fabricate, and manipulate these optical microstructures in soft matter systems, such as liquid crystals (LCs), that would open new opportunities in both scientific research and practical applications, such as the interaction between light and soft matter, the intrinsic assembly of the topological patterns, and the multidimensional control of the light (polarization, phase, spatial distribution, propagation direction). Here, we summarize recent progresses in self-assembled optical architectures in typical thermotropic LCs and bio-based lyotropic LCs. After briefly introducing the basic definitions and properties of the materials, we present the manipulation schemes of various LC microstructures, especially the topological and topographic configurations. This work further illustrates external-stimuli-enabled dynamic controllability of self-assembled optical structures of these soft materials, and demonstrates several emerging applications. Lastly, we discuss the challenges and opportunities of these materials towards soft matter photonics, and envision future perspectives in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling-Ling Ma
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Chao-Yi Li
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Jin-Tao Pan
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yue-E Ji
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Chang Jiang
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Ren Zheng
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Ze-Yu Wang
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yu Wang
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Bing-Xiang Li
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
- College of Electronic and Optical Engineering & College of Flexible Electronics (Future Technology), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Yan-Qing Lu
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
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7
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Yao T, Kos Ž, Zhang QX, Luo Y, Steager EB, Ravnik M, Stebe KJ. Topological defect-propelled swimming of nematic colloids. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn8176. [PMID: 36001658 PMCID: PMC10939095 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn8176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Topological defects on colloids rotating in nematic liquid crystals form far-from-equilibrium structures that perform complex swim strokes in which the defects periodically extend, depin, and contract. These defect dynamics propel the colloid, generating translation from rotation. The swimmer's speed and direction are determined by the topological defect's polarity and extent of elongation. Defect elongation is controlled by a rotating external magnetic field, allowing control over particle trajectories. The swimmers' translational motion relies on broken symmetries associated with lubrication forces between the colloid and the bounding surfaces, line tensions associated with the elongated defect, and anisotropic viscosities associated with the defect elongation adjacent to the colloid. The scattering or effective pair interaction of these swimmers is highly anisotropic, with polarization-dependent dimer stability and motion that depend strongly on entanglement and sharing of their extended defect structures. This research introduces transient, far-from-equilibrium topological defects as a class of virtual functional structures that generate modalities of motion and interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyi Yao
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Žiga Kos
- Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Jadranska 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Qi Xing Zhang
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yimin Luo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Edward B. Steager
- Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Miha Ravnik
- Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Jadranska 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Condensed Matter Physics Department, J. Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Kathleen J. Stebe
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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8
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Senyuk B, Meng C, Smalyukh II. Design and Preparation of Nematic Colloidal Particles. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:9099-9118. [PMID: 35866261 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c00611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Colloidal systems are abundant in technology, in biomedical settings, and in our daily life. The so-called "colloidal atoms" paradigm exploits interparticle interactions to self-assemble colloidal analogs of atomic and molecular crystals, liquid crystal glasses, and other types of condensed matter from nanometer- or micrometer-sized colloidal building blocks. Nematic colloids, which comprise colloidal particles dispersed within an anisotropic nematic fluid host medium, provide a particularly rich variety of physical behaviors at the mesoscale, not only matching but even exceeding the diversity of structural and phase behavior in conventional atomic and molecular systems. This feature article, using primarily examples of works from our own group, highlights recent developments in the design, fabrication, and self-assembly of nematic colloidal particles, including the capabilities of preprogramming their behavior by controlling the particle's surface boundary conditions for liquid crystal molecules at the colloidal surfaces as well as by defining the shape and topology of the colloidal particles. Recent progress in defining particle-induced defects, elastic multipoles, self-assembly, and dynamics is discussed along with open issues and challenges within this research field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bohdan Senyuk
- Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Cuiling Meng
- Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Ivan I Smalyukh
- Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
- Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
- Soft Materials Research Center and Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
- Chemical Physics Program, Departments of Chemistry and Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
- Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute, National Renewable Energy Laboratory and University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
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9
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Choudhary D, Garg S, Kaur M, Sohal HS, Malhi DS, Kaur L, Verma M, Sharma A, Mutreja V. Advances in the Synthesis and Bio-Applications of Pyrazine Derivatives: A Review. Polycycl Aromat Compd 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/10406638.2022.2092873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dimple Choudhary
- Medicinal and Natural Product Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Chandigarh University, Mohali, India
| | - Sonali Garg
- Medicinal and Natural Product Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Chandigarh University, Mohali, India
| | - Manvinder Kaur
- Medicinal and Natural Product Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Chandigarh University, Mohali, India
| | - Harvinder Singh Sohal
- Medicinal and Natural Product Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Chandigarh University, Mohali, India
| | - Dharambeer Singh Malhi
- Medicinal and Natural Product Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Chandigarh University, Mohali, India
| | - Loveleen Kaur
- Medicinal and Natural Product Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Chandigarh University, Mohali, India
| | - Meenakshi Verma
- Medicinal and Natural Product Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Chandigarh University, Mohali, India
| | - Ajay Sharma
- Medicinal and Natural Product Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Chandigarh University, Mohali, India
| | - Vishal Mutreja
- Medicinal and Natural Product Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Chandigarh University, Mohali, India
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10
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Guo YQ, Chu F, Li BX, Zhang YX, Shen TZ, Duan W, Liu C, Sun YB, Wang QH. Unidirectional collective transport of microspheres in nematic liquid crystal by electrically tunable reorientation. J Mol Liq 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2022.119136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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11
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Yao X, Zhang L, Chen JZY. Defect patterns of two-dimensional nematic liquid crystals in confinement. Phys Rev E 2022; 105:044704. [PMID: 35590543 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.105.044704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
A two-dimensional or quasi-two-dimensional nematic liquid crystal refers to a surface-confined system. When such a system is further confined by external line boundaries or excluded from internal line boundaries, the nematic directors form a deformed texture that may display defect points or defect lines, for which winding numbers can be clearly defined. Here, a particular attention is paid to the case when the liquid crystal molecules prefer to form a boundary nematic texture in parallel to the wall surface (i.e., following the homogeneous boundary condition). A general theory, based on geometric argument, is presented for the relationship between the sum of all winding numbers in the system (the total winding number) and the type of confinement angles and curved segments. The conclusion is validated by comparing the theoretical defect rule with existing nematic textures observed experimentally and theoretically in recent years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomei Yao
- Beijing International Center for Mathematical Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Beijing International Center for Mathematical Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jeff Z Y Chen
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1
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12
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Liu J, Cui Y, Pan Y, Chen Z, Jia T, Li C, Wang Y. Donor-Acceptor Molecule Based High-Performance Photothermal Organic Material for Efficient Water Purification and Electricity Generation. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202117087. [PMID: 35075755 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202117087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In this contribution, a unique donor-acceptor conjugated organic-small-molecule photothermal material, namely GDPA-QCN, is presented. Bulky dendritic triphenylamine (GDPA) was grafted onto quinoxaline-6,7-dicarbonitrile (QCN) with a phenyl ring as a bridge to form an "umbrella" architecture. Benefited from the particular molecular structure, in solid state, GDPA-QCN molecules adopted a loose packing mode due to the steric effect of "umbrella head" dendritic triphenylamine and flexible molecular structure feature, which allows efficient intramolecular motions and consequently elevates energy dissipation by taking the pathway of thermal deactivation within broad absorption range. The GDPA-QCN solid has high solar-thermal conversion efficiency with an absorption range from 300 to 1100 nm, which can promote superior water purification and electricity generation performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Liu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Engineering Research Center of Forest Bio-Preparation, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Yuanyuan Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China
| | - Yuyu Pan
- School of Petrochemical Engineering, Shenyang University of Technology, Liaoyang, 111003, China
| | - Zhijun Chen
- Key laboratory of Bio-based Material Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Tao Jia
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Engineering Research Center of Forest Bio-Preparation, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Chenglong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China
| | - Yue Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China
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13
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Nano/Micromotors in Active Matter. MICROMACHINES 2022; 13:mi13020307. [PMID: 35208431 PMCID: PMC8878230 DOI: 10.3390/mi13020307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Nano/micromotors (NMMs) are tiny objects capable of converting energy into mechanical motion. Recently, a wealth of active matter including synthetic colloids, cytoskeletons, bacteria, and cells have been used to construct NMMs. The self-sustained motion of active matter drives NMMs out of equilibrium, giving rise to rich dynamics and patterns. Alongside the spontaneous dynamics, external stimuli such as geometric confinements, light, magnetic field, and chemical potential are also harnessed to control the movements of NMMs, yielding new application paradigms of active matter. Here, we review the recent advances, both experimental and theoretical, in exploring biological NMMs. The unique dynamical features of collective NMMs are focused on, along with some possible applications of these intriguing systems.
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14
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Wang Y, Liu J, Cui Y, Pan Y, Chen Z, Jia T, Li C. Donor‐Acceptor Molecule Based High Performance Photothermal Organic Material for Efficient Water‐Electric Cogeneration. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202117087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yue Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Jilin UniversityChangchun 130012, P. R. China CHINA
| | - Jing Liu
- Northeast Forestry University College of Chemistry CHINA
| | | | - Yuyu Pan
- Shenyang University of Technology College of Chemistry CHINA
| | - Zhijun Chen
- Northeast Forestry University College of Chemistry CHINA
| | - Tao Jia
- Northeast Forestry University College of Chemistry CHINA
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15
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Perrot A, Moulin E, Giuseppone N. Extraction of mechanical work from stimuli-responsive molecular systems and materials. TRENDS IN CHEMISTRY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trechm.2021.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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16
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Solodkov NV, Saxena A, Jones JC. Electrically Driven Rotation and Nonreciprocal Motion of Microparticles in Nematic Liquid Crystals. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e2003352. [PMID: 32893438 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202003352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Dispersion of microparticles in nematic liquid crystals offers a novel means for controlling both their orientation and position through the combination of topology and external stimuli. Here, cuboidal and triangular prism shaped microparticles in parallel plate capacitor cells filled with a nematic liquid crystal are studied. Experimental observations are compared with numerical simulations to show that the optimal orientation of the particles is determined by their aspect rations, the relative separation gap of their containers and the applied voltage. It is observed that in systems that allow unrestricted particle rotation, the long axes of the particles are able to fully align themselves with the external electric field. However, when particle rotation is geometrically restricted, it is found that increasing the voltage past a critical value causes the short axis of the particle to realign with the electric field due to anchoring breaking. It is shown that symmetry of the particles then plays a key role in their dynamics following the removal of the electric field, allowing the triangular prisms to travel perpendicular to the applied electric field, whereas only rotation is possible for the cuboidal particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikita V Solodkov
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Antariksh Saxena
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - J Cliff Jones
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
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17
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Smalyukh II. Review: knots and other new topological effects in liquid crystals and colloids. REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN PHYSICS. PHYSICAL SOCIETY (GREAT BRITAIN) 2020; 83:106601. [PMID: 32721944 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6633/abaa39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Humankind has been obsessed with knots in religion, culture and daily life for millennia, while physicists like Gauss, Kelvin and Maxwell already involved them in models centuries ago. Nowadays, colloidal particles can be fabricated to have shapes of knots and links with arbitrary complexity. In liquid crystals, closed loops of singular vortex lines can be knotted by using colloidal particles and laser tweezers, as well as by confining nematic fluids into micrometer-sized droplets with complex topology. Knotted and linked colloidal particles induce knots and links of singular defects, which can be interlinked (or not) with colloidal particle knots, revealing the diversity of interactions between topologies of knotted fields and topologically nontrivial surfaces of colloidal objects. Even more diverse knotted structures emerge in nonsingular molecular alignment and magnetization fields in liquid crystals and colloidal ferromagnets. The topological solitons include hopfions, skyrmions, heliknotons, torons and other spatially localized continuous structures, which are classified based on homotopy theory, characterized by integer-valued topological invariants and often contain knotted or linked preimages, nonsingular regions of space corresponding to single points of the order parameter space. A zoo of topological solitons in liquid crystals, colloids and ferromagnets promises new breeds of information displays and a plethora of data storage, electro-optic and photonic applications. Their particle-like collective dynamics echoes coherent motions in active matter, ranging from crowds of people to schools of fish. This review discusses the state of the art in the field, as well as highlights recent developments and open questions in physics of knotted soft matter. We systematically overview knotted field configurations, the allowed transformations between them, their physical stability and how one can use one form of knotted fields to model, create and imprint other forms. The large variety of symmetries accessible to liquid crystals and colloids offer insights into stability, transformation and emergent dynamics of fully nonsingular and singular knotted fields of fundamental and applied importance. The common thread of this review is the ability to experimentally visualize these knots in real space. The review concludes with a discussion of how the studies of knots in liquid crystals and colloids can offer insights into topologically related structures in other branches of physics, with answers to many open questions, as well as how these experimentally observable knots hold a strong potential for providing new inspirations to the mathematical knot theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan I Smalyukh
- Department of Physics, Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering Program and Soft Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, United States of America
- Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute, National Renewable Energy Laboratory and University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, United States of America
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18
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Chen M, Zhang X, Liu J, Liu F, Zhang R, Wei P, Feng H, Tu M, Qin A, Lam JWY, Ding D, Tang BZ. Evoking Photothermy by Capturing Intramolecular Bond Stretching Vibration-Induced Dark-State Energy. ACS NANO 2020; 14:4265-4275. [PMID: 32160460 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.9b09625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Development of highly effective approaches to desirable photothermal conversion agents is particularly valuable. Herein, we report a concept, namely, bond stretching vibration-induced photothermy, that serves as a mechanism to construct advanced photothermal conversion agents. As a proof-of-concept, two compounds (DCP-TPA and DCP-PTPA) with donor-acceptor (D-A) structures were synthesized. The bond stretching vibration of the pyrazine-containing unit in these molecules is vigorous and insensitive to the external environmental restraint, which efficiently transforms the absorbed photons to dark-state heat energy. The nanoparticles (NPs) of DCP-TPA and DCP-PTPA show rather high photothermal conversion efficiency (52% and 59%) and stronger photoacoustic (PA) signal than commercial methylene blue and reported high-performance semiconducting polymer nanoparticles. The DCP-PTPA NPs perform better than DCP-TPA NPs in terms of photothermal conversion, PA signal production, and in vivo PA tumor imaging because of the increased bond stretching vibration in the former molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Division of Life Science and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, and Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Xiaoyan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, and College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Junkai Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Division of Life Science and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, and Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Feng Liu
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Ruoyao Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Division of Life Science and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, and Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Peifa Wei
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Division of Life Science and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, and Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Haitao Feng
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Division of Life Science and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, and Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Mei Tu
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Anjun Qin
- Center for Aggregation-Induced Emission, SCUT-HKUST Joint Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Jacky W Y Lam
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Division of Life Science and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, and Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Dan Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, and College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
- Center for Aggregation-Induced Emission, SCUT-HKUST Joint Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Ben Zhong Tang
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Division of Life Science and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, and Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
- Center for Aggregation-Induced Emission, SCUT-HKUST Joint Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
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19
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Sohn HRO, Liu CD, Voinescu R, Chen Z, Smalyukh II. Optically enriched and guided dynamics of active skyrmions. OPTICS EXPRESS 2020; 28:6306-6319. [PMID: 32225882 DOI: 10.1364/oe.382845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Light provides a powerful means of controlling physical behavior of materials but is rarely used to power and guide active matter systems. We demonstrate optical control of liquid crystalline topological solitons dubbed "skyrmions", which recently emerged as highly reconfigurable inanimate active particles capable of exhibiting emergent collective behaviors like schooling. Because of a chiral nematic liquid crystal's natural tendency to twist and its facile response to electric fields and light, it serves as a testbed for dynamic control of skyrmions and other active particles. Using ambient-intensity unstructured light, we demonstrate large-scale multifaceted reconfigurations and unjamming of collective skyrmion motions powered by oscillating electric fields and guided by optically-induced obstacles and patterned illumination.
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20
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Strek W, Wiewiorski P, Mista W, Tomala R. Direct light-induced propulsion of vessels filled with a suspension of graphene particles and methanol. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2222. [PMID: 32042006 PMCID: PMC7010679 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59123-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The direct propulsion of glassy capsule filled with solution of methanol and disperse graphene foam (GF) particles under irradiation with infrared LED is reported. The vertical propulsion occurred after irradiation of transparent glassy bottom. The velocity of propulsion was dependent of light irradiation power. It was observed that with irradiation the GF particles moved violently and vertically with direction of lighting. It was found that upon light irradiation there is generated efficiently hydrogen upon solution surface. The mechanism of propulsion effect was discussed in terms of the explosive hydrogen-oxygen reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Strek
- Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research, Polish Academy of Science, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - P Wiewiorski
- Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research, Polish Academy of Science, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - W Mista
- Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research, Polish Academy of Science, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - R Tomala
- Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research, Polish Academy of Science, Wroclaw, Poland.
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21
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Dattler D, Fuks G, Heiser J, Moulin E, Perrot A, Yao X, Giuseppone N. Design of Collective Motions from Synthetic Molecular Switches, Rotors, and Motors. Chem Rev 2019; 120:310-433. [PMID: 31869214 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.9b00288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 241] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Precise control over molecular movement is of fundamental and practical importance in physics, biology, and chemistry. At nanoscale, the peculiar functioning principles and the synthesis of individual molecular actuators and machines has been the subject of intense investigations and debates over the past 60 years. In this review, we focus on the design of collective motions that are achieved by integrating, in space and time, several or many of these individual mechanical units together. In particular, we provide an in-depth look at the intermolecular couplings used to physically connect a number of artificial mechanically active molecular units such as photochromic molecular switches, nanomachines based on mechanical bonds, molecular rotors, and light-powered rotary motors. We highlight the various functioning principles that can lead to their collective motion at various length scales. We also emphasize how their synchronized, or desynchronized, mechanical behavior can lead to emerging functional properties and to their implementation into new active devices and materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien Dattler
- SAMS Research Group, Institute Charles Sadron, CNRS , University of Strasbourg , 23 rue du Loess , BP 84047, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2 , France
| | - Gad Fuks
- SAMS Research Group, Institute Charles Sadron, CNRS , University of Strasbourg , 23 rue du Loess , BP 84047, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2 , France
| | - Joakim Heiser
- SAMS Research Group, Institute Charles Sadron, CNRS , University of Strasbourg , 23 rue du Loess , BP 84047, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2 , France
| | - Emilie Moulin
- SAMS Research Group, Institute Charles Sadron, CNRS , University of Strasbourg , 23 rue du Loess , BP 84047, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2 , France
| | - Alexis Perrot
- SAMS Research Group, Institute Charles Sadron, CNRS , University of Strasbourg , 23 rue du Loess , BP 84047, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2 , France
| | - Xuyang Yao
- SAMS Research Group, Institute Charles Sadron, CNRS , University of Strasbourg , 23 rue du Loess , BP 84047, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2 , France
| | - Nicolas Giuseppone
- SAMS Research Group, Institute Charles Sadron, CNRS , University of Strasbourg , 23 rue du Loess , BP 84047, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2 , France
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22
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Hess A, Funk AJ, Liu Q, De La Cruz JA, Sheetah GH, Fleury B, Smalyukh II. Plasmonic Metamaterial Gels with Spatially Patterned Orientational Order via 3D Printing. ACS OMEGA 2019; 4:20558-20563. [PMID: 31858040 PMCID: PMC6906772 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.9b02418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Optical properties can be programmed on mesoscopic scales by patterning host materials while ordering their nanoparticle inclusions. While liquid crystals are often used to define the ordering of nanoparticles dispersed within them, this approach is typically limited to liquid crystals confined in classic geometries. In this work, the orientational order that liquid crystalline colloidal hosts impose on anisotropic nanoparticle inclusions is combined with an additive manufacturing method that enables engineered, macroscopic three-dimensional (3D) patterns of co-aligned gold nanorods and cellulose nanocrystals. These gels exhibit polarization-dependent plasmonic properties that emerge from the unique interaction between the host medium's anisotropic optical properties defined by orientationally ordered cellulose nanocrystals, from the liquid crystal's gold nanorod inclusions, and from the complexity of spatial patterns accessed with 3D printing. The gels' optical properties that are defined by the interplay of these effects are tuned by controlling the gels' order, which is tuned by adjusting the gels' cellulose nanocrystal concentrations. Lithe optical responsiveness of these composite gels to polarized radiation may enable unique technological applications like polarization-sensitive optical elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew
J. Hess
- Department
of Physics, 390 UCB, University of Colorado
Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Andrew J. Funk
- Department
of Physics, 390 UCB, University of Colorado
Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Qingkun Liu
- Department
of Physics, 390 UCB, University of Colorado
Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Joshua A. De La Cruz
- Materials
Science and Engineering, 027 UCB, Sustainability, Energy & Environment
Community, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80303, United States
| | - Ghadah H. Sheetah
- Materials
Science and Engineering, 027 UCB, Sustainability, Energy & Environment
Community, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80303, United States
| | - Blaise Fleury
- Department
of Physics, 390 UCB, University of Colorado
Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Ivan I. Smalyukh
- Department
of Physics, 390 UCB, University of Colorado
Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
- Materials
Science and Engineering, 027 UCB, Sustainability, Energy & Environment
Community, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80303, United States
- Renewable
and Sustainable Energy Institute, National
Renewable Energy Laboratory and University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
- E-mail:
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23
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Sohn HRO, Liu CD, Wang Y, Smalyukh II. Light-controlled skyrmions and torons as reconfigurable particles. OPTICS EXPRESS 2019; 27:29055-29068. [PMID: 31684647 DOI: 10.1364/oe.27.029055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Topological solitons, such as skyrmions, arise in field theories of systems ranging from Bose-Einstein condensates to optics, particle physics, and cosmology, but they are rarely accessible experimentally. Chiral nematic liquid crystals provide a platform to study skyrmions because of their natural tendency to form twisted structures arising from the lack of mirror symmetry at the molecular level. However, large-scale dynamic control and technological utility of skyrmions remain limited. Combining experiments and numerical modeling of chiral liquid crystals with optically controlled helical pitch, we demonstrate that low-intensity, unstructured light can control stability, dimensions, interactions, spatial patterning, self-assembly, and dynamics of these topological solitons.
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24
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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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25
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Mundoor H, Senyuk B, Almansouri M, Park S, Fleury B, Smalyukh II. Electrostatically controlled surface boundary conditions in nematic liquid crystals and colloids. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaax4257. [PMID: 31555742 PMCID: PMC6754225 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax4257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Differing from isotropic fluids, liquid crystals exhibit highly anisotropic interactions with surfaces, which define boundary conditions for the alignment of constituent rod-like molecules at interfaces with colloidal inclusions and confining substrates. We show that surface alignment of the nematic molecules can be controlled by harnessing the competing aligning effects of surface functionalization and electric field arising from surface charging and bulk counterions. The control of ionic content in the bulk and at surfaces allows for tuning orientations of shape-anisotropic particles like platelets within an aligned nematic host and for changing the orientation of director relative to confining substrates. The ensuing anisotropic elastic and electrostatic interactions enable colloidal crystals with reconfigurable symmetries and orientations of inclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haridas Mundoor
- Department of Physics and Soft Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Bohdan Senyuk
- Department of Physics and Soft Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Mahmoud Almansouri
- Department of Physics and Soft Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Sungoh Park
- Department of Physics and Soft Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Blaise Fleury
- Department of Physics and Soft Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Ivan I. Smalyukh
- Department of Physics and Soft Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- Department of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
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26
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Cho W, Park C. Design of Mechanized Nanocomposites for Exploring New Chemical Motions. ASIAN J ORG CHEM 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ajoc.201900374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wansu Cho
- Department of Industrial ChemistryPukyong National University 365 Sinseon-ro, Nam-gu Busan 48547 Republic of Korea
| | - Chiyoung Park
- Department of Energy Science and EngineeringDaegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) 333, Techno jungang-daero, Hyeonpung-eup, Dalseong-gun Daegu Republic of Korea
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27
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Abstract
Directed motion at the nanoscale is a central attribute of life, and chemically driven motor proteins are nature's choice to accomplish it. Motivated and inspired by such bionanodevices, in the past few decades chemists have developed artificial prototypes of molecular motors, namely, multicomponent synthetic species that exhibit directionally controlled, stimuli-induced movements of their parts. In this context, photonic and redox stimuli represent highly appealing modes of activation, particularly from a technological viewpoint. Here we describe the evolution of the field of photo- and redox-driven artificial molecular motors, and we provide a comprehensive review of the work published in the past 5 years. After an analysis of the general principles that govern controlled and directed movement at the molecular scale, we describe the fundamental photochemical and redox processes that can enable its realization. The main classes of light- and redox-driven molecular motors are illustrated, with a particular focus on recent designs, and a thorough description of the functions performed by these kinds of devices according to literature reports is presented. Limitations, challenges, and future perspectives of the field are critically discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Baroncini
- CLAN-Center for Light Activated Nanostructures , Istituto ISOF-CNR , via Gobetti 101 , 40129 Bologna , Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agro-alimentari , Università di Bologna , viale Fanin 44 , 40127 Bologna , Italy
| | - Serena Silvi
- CLAN-Center for Light Activated Nanostructures , Istituto ISOF-CNR , via Gobetti 101 , 40129 Bologna , Italy.,Dipartimento di Chimica "G. Ciamician" , Università di Bologna , via Selmi 2 , 40126 Bologna , Italy
| | - Alberto Credi
- CLAN-Center for Light Activated Nanostructures , Istituto ISOF-CNR , via Gobetti 101 , 40129 Bologna , Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agro-alimentari , Università di Bologna , viale Fanin 44 , 40127 Bologna , Italy
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28
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Elastic colloidal monopoles and reconfigurable self-assembly in liquid crystals. Nature 2019; 570:214-218. [DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1247-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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29
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Kageyama Y. Light‐Powered Self‐Sustainable Macroscopic Motion for the Active Locomotion of Materials. CHEMPHOTOCHEM 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/cptc.201900013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiyuki Kageyama
- Department of ChemistryFaculty of Science, Hokkaido University Kita-10 Nishi-8, Kita-ku Sapporo 060-0810 JAPAN
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