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Honaker LW, Eijffius A, Plankensteiner L, Nikiforidis CV, Deshpande S. Biosensing with Oleosin-Stabilized Liquid Crystal Droplets. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2309053. [PMID: 38602194 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202309053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Liquid crystals (LCs) are emerging as novel platforms for chemical, physical, and biological sensing. They can be used to detect biological amphiphiles such as lipids, fatty acids, digestive surfactants, and bacterial endotoxins. However, designing LC-based sensors in a manner that preserves their sensitivity and responsiveness to these stimuli, and possibly improves biocompatibility, remains challenging. In this work, the stabilization of LC droplets by oleosins, plant-sourced and highly surface active proteins due to their extended amphipathic helix, is investigated. Purified oleosins, at sub-micromolar concentrations, are shown to readily stabilize nematic LC droplets without switching their alignment, allowing them to detect surfactants at micromolar concentrations. Direct evidence of localization of oleosins at the LC-water interface is provided with fluorescent labeling, and the stabilized droplets remain stable over months. Interestingly, chiral LC droplets readily switch in the presence of nanomolar oleosin concentrations, an unexpected behavior that is explained by accounting for the energy barriers required for switching the alignment between the two cases. This leads thus to a twofold conclusion: oleosin-stabilized nematic LC droplets present a biocompatible alternative for bioanalyte detection, while chiral LCs can be further investigated for use as highly sensitive sensors for detecting amphipathic helices in biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence W Honaker
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University & Research, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Axel Eijffius
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University & Research, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Lorenz Plankensteiner
- Laboratory of Biobased Chemistry and Technology, Wageningen University & Research, 6708 WG, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Laboratory of Food Chemistry, Wageningen University & Research, 6708 WG, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Constantinos V Nikiforidis
- Laboratory of Biobased Chemistry and Technology, Wageningen University & Research, 6708 WG, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Siddharth Deshpande
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University & Research, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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2
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Bezrukov A, Galeeva A, Krupin A, Galyametdinov Y. Molecular Orientation Behavior of Lyotropic Liquid Crystal-Carbon Dot Hybrids in Microfluidic Confinement. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5520. [PMID: 38791556 PMCID: PMC11122583 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105520] [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: 04/08/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Lyotropic liquid crystals represent an important class of anisotropic colloid systems. Their integration with optically active nanoparticles can provide us with responsive luminescent media that offer new fundamental and applied solutions for biomedicine. This paper analyzes the molecular-level behavior of such composites represented by tetraethylene glycol monododecyl ether and nanoscale carbon dots in microfluidic channels. Microfluidic confinement allows for simultaneously applying multiple factors, such as flow dynamics, wall effects, and temperature, for the precise control of the molecular arrangement in such composites and their resulting optical properties. The microfluidic behavior of composites was characterized by a set of analytical and modeling tools such as polarized and fluorescent microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and fluorescent spectroscopy, as well as image processing in Matlab. The composites were shown to form tunable anisotropic intermolecular structures in microchannels with several levels of molecular ordering. A predominant lamellar structure of the composites was found to undergo additional ordering with respect to the microchannel axis and walls. Such an alignment was controlled by applying shear and temperature factors to the microfluidic environment. The revealed molecular behavior of the composite may contribute to the synthesis of hybrid organized media capable of polarized luminescence for on-chip diagnostics and biomimetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artem Bezrukov
- Department of Physical and Colloid Chemistry, Kazan National Research Technological University, 68 Karl Marx Str., 420015 Kazan, Russia; (A.G.); (A.K.); (Y.G.)
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3
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Zhang Y, Yang H, Chen Y, Yu H. Progress in Fabrication and Applications of Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Microcapsules. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202303198. [PMID: 37971158 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202303198] [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: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystals (LCs) are well known for inherent responsiveness to external stimuli, such as light, thermal, magnetic, and electric fields. Cholesteric LCs are among the most fascinating, since they possess distinctive optical properties due to the helical molecular orientation. However, the good flow, easy contamination, and poor stability of small-molecule LCs limit their further applications, and microencapsulation as one of the most effective tools can evade these disadvantages. Microencapsulation can offer shell-core structure with LCs in the core can strengthen their stability, avoiding interference with the environment while maintaining the stimuli-responsiveness and optical properties. Here, we report recent progress in the fabrication and applications of cholesteric LC microcapsules (CLCMCs). We summarize general properties and basic principles, fabrication methods including interfacial polymerization, in-situ polymerization, complex coacervation, solvent evaporation, microfluidic and polymerization of reactive mesogens, and then give a comprehensive overview of their applications in various popular domains, including smart fabrics, smart sensor, smart displays, anti-counterfeiting, information encryption, biomedicine and actuators. Finally, we discuss the currently facing challenges and the potential development directions in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajun Zhang
- College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, 100020, Beijing, China
| | - Haixiao Yang
- College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, 100020, Beijing, China
| | - Yinjie Chen
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Printed Electronics, Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication, 102600, Beijing, China
| | - Haifeng Yu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering and, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and, Physics of Ministry of Education, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
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4
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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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Bezrukov A, Galyametdinov Y. Tuning Molecular Orientation Responses of Microfluidic Liquid Crystal Dispersions to Colloid and Polymer Flows. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13555. [PMID: 37686359 PMCID: PMC10488184 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713555] [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: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
An important approach to molecular diagnostics is integrating organized substances that provide complex molecular level responses to introduced chemical and biological agents with conditions that optimize and distinguish such responses. In this respect, liquid crystal dispersions are attractive components of molecular diagnostic tools. This paper analyzes a colloid system, containing a nematic liquid crystal as a dispersed phase, and aqueous surfactant and polymer solutions as the continuous phases. We applied a microfluidic approach for tuning orientation of liquid crystal molecules in picoliter droplets immobilized on microchannel walls. Introduction of surfactant to the aqueous phase was found to proportionally increase the order parameter of liquid crystal molecules in microdroplets. Infusion of polymer solutions into surfactant-mediated microfluidic liquid crystal dispersions increased the order parameter at much lower surfactant concentrations, while further infusion of surfactant solutions randomized the orientation of liquid crystal molecules. These effects were correlated with the adsorption of surfactant molecules on surfaces of microdroplets, stabilizing the effect of a polymer matrix on bound surfactant ions and the formation of insoluble polymer-colloid aggregates, respectively. The revealed molecular behavior of liquid crystal dispersions may contribute to optimized synthesis of responsive liquid crystal dispersions for in-flow molecular diagnostics of polymers and colloids, and the development of functional laboratory-on-chip prototypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artem Bezrukov
- Department of Physical and Colloid Chemistry, Kazan National Research Technological University, 68 Karl Marx Str., Kazan 420015, Russia;
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6
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Honaker LW, Schaap J, Kenbeek D, Miltenburg E, Deshpande S. Heads or tails: investigating the effects of amphiphile features on the distortion of chiral nematic liquid crystal droplets. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY. C 2023; 11:4867-4875. [PMID: 37033204 PMCID: PMC10077502 DOI: 10.1039/d2tc05390j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystal-based sensing has fast become a growing field, harnessing the sensitivity of liquid crystals to their surroundings to provide information about the analytes present, including surface-active amphiphiles such as biological lipids. Amphiphiles can impart ordering to a liquid crystal and, in the case of chiral nematic liquid crystals (CLCs), distort the helical texture. The cause and degree to which this distortion occurs is not fully clear. In this work, the effects of different amphiphiles on the final colour textures as well as the pitch of chiral nematic liquid crystals are investigated. We find that the tails of amphiphiles and their orientation play a more important role in determining the final distortions of the liquid crystal by the direct interactions they have with the host, whereas the headgroups do not play a significant role in affecting these distortions. Our findings may find implications in designing CLC-based biosensors, where the tails will likely have more impact on the CLC response, while the headgroups will remain available for further functionalization without having significant effects on the signal readout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence W Honaker
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University & Research 6708 WE Wageningen The Netherlands +31 (0)317 480 419
| | - Jorik Schaap
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University & Research 6708 WE Wageningen The Netherlands +31 (0)317 480 419
| | - Dennis Kenbeek
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University & Research 6708 WE Wageningen The Netherlands +31 (0)317 480 419
| | - Ernst Miltenburg
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University & Research 6708 WE Wageningen The Netherlands +31 (0)317 480 419
| | - Siddharth Deshpande
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University & Research 6708 WE Wageningen The Netherlands +31 (0)317 480 419
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7
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Ramou E, Palma SICJ, Roque ACA. A room temperature 9CB‐based chemical sensor. NANO SELECT 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/nano.202200153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Efthymia Ramou
- UCIBIO – Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit Department of Chemistry School of Science and Technology NOVA University Lisbon Caparica Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB – Institute for Health and Bioeconomy School of Science and Technology NOVA University Lisbon Caparica Portugal
| | - Susana I. C. J. Palma
- UCIBIO – Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit Department of Chemistry School of Science and Technology NOVA University Lisbon Caparica Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB – Institute for Health and Bioeconomy School of Science and Technology NOVA University Lisbon Caparica Portugal
| | - Ana Cecília A. Roque
- UCIBIO – Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit Department of Chemistry School of Science and Technology NOVA University Lisbon Caparica Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB – Institute for Health and Bioeconomy School of Science and Technology NOVA University Lisbon Caparica Portugal
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8
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Du X, Yang F, Liu Y, Gleeson HF, Luo D. Light-Driven Dynamic Hierarchical Architecture of Three-Dimensional Self-Assembled Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Droplets. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:1611-1618. [PMID: 36662286 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c03040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Cholesteric liquid crystals have attracted much attention in biosensors, in communication systems, security identification, hierarchical materials assembly, and microlasers, due to their complex and interesting structures accompanied by particular optical properties making them low-cost, label-free and sensitive. However, the reports of CLC droplets with stable topological configurations are still very limited, which hinders the fast development and broad application of CLC droplet-based devices. In this paper, we manifest light-driven changes in the topological configuration of cholesteric liquid crystals droplets, examined experimentally. Photoresponsive azo-LC doped CLC droplets were manipulated by irradiation by UV light to form novel topological configurations with stable 3D structures. The phenomenon behind the configuration changes is the light-induced cholesteric-isotropic phase transition that takes place in liquid crystals. Several topological configurations of CLC droplets have been demonstrated such as closed-ring structures with cone-shaped centers and concentric elliptical centers, and open-ring structures formed under unidirectional illumination of UV light. Structures with parallel CLC pitch lines at the center and with a central point singularity are also formed under multidirectional illumination. The competition of the elastic energy and surface energy of the CLC droplets results in the formation of the new topological configurations. All proposed configurations are stable and controllable by light, which enable CLC droplets with novel topological structures with new characteristics and provide a lot of potential applications in biosensors and microlasers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxue Du
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen518055, China
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Fei Yang
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen518055, China
| | - Yanjun Liu
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen518055, China
| | - Helen F Gleeson
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Dan Luo
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen518055, China
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9
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Honaker L, Chen C, Dautzenberg FM, Brugman S, Deshpande S. Designing Biological Microsensors with Chiral Nematic Liquid Crystal Droplets. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:37316-37329. [PMID: 35969154 PMCID: PMC9412956 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c06923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Biosensing using liquid crystals has a tremendous potential by coupling the high degree of sensitivity of their alignment to their surroundings with clear optical feedback. Many existing set-ups use birefringence of nematic liquid crystals, which severely limits straightforward and frugal implementation into a sensing platform due to the sophisticated optical set-ups required. In this work, we instead utilize chiral nematic liquid crystal microdroplets, which show strongly reflected structural color, as sensing platforms for surface active agents. We systematically quantify the optical response of closely related biological amphiphiles and find unique optical signatures for each species. We detect signatures across a wide range of concentrations (from micromolar to millimolar), with fast response times (from seconds to minutes). The striking optical response is a function of the adsorption of surfactants in a nonhomogeneous manner and the topology of the chiral nematic liquid crystal orientation at the interface requiring a scattering, multidomain structure. We show that the surface interactions, in particular, the surface packing density, to be a function of both headgroup and tail and thus unique to each surfactant species. We show lab-on-a-chip capability of our method by drying droplets in high-density two-dimensional arrays and simply hydrating the chip to detect dissolved analytes. Finally, we show proof-of-principle in vivo biosensing in the healthy as well as inflamed intestinal tracts of live zebrafish larvae, demonstrating CLC droplets show a clear optical response specifically when exposed to the gut environment rich in amphiphiles. Our unique approach shows clear potential in developing on-site detection platforms and detecting biological amphiphiles in living organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence
W. Honaker
- Laboratory
of Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen
University & Research, Wageningen 6708 WE, The Netherlands
| | - Chang Chen
- Laboratory
of Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen
University & Research, Wageningen 6708 WE, The Netherlands
| | - Floris M.H. Dautzenberg
- Laboratory
of Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen
University & Research, Wageningen 6708 WE, The Netherlands
| | - Sylvia Brugman
- Host-Microbe
Interactomics, Wageningen University &
Research, Wageningen 6708 WD, The Netherlands
| | - Siddharth Deshpande
- Laboratory
of Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen
University & Research, Wageningen 6708 WE, The Netherlands
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10
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Norouzi S, Martinez Gonzalez JA, Sadati M. Chiral Liquid Crystal Microdroplets for Sensing Phospholipid Amphiphiles. BIOSENSORS 2022; 12:313. [PMID: 35624614 PMCID: PMC9139120 DOI: 10.3390/bios12050313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Designing simple, sensitive, fast, and inexpensive readout devices to detect biological molecules and biomarkers is crucial for early diagnosis and treatments. Here, we have studied the interaction of the chiral liquid crystal (CLC) and biomolecules at the liquid crystal (LC)-droplet interface. CLC droplets with high and low chirality were prepared using a microfluidic device. We explored the reconfiguration of the CLC molecules confined in droplets in the presence of 1,2-diauroyl-sn-glycero3-phosphatidylcholine (DLPC) phospholipid. Cross-polarized optical microscopy and spectrometry techniques were employed to monitor the effect of droplet size and DLPC concentration on the structural reorganization of the CLC molecules. Our results showed that in the presence of DLPC, the chiral LC droplets transition from planar to homeotropic ordering through a multistage molecular reorientation. However, this reconfiguration process in the low-chirality droplets happened three times faster than in high-chirality ones. Applying spectrometry and image analysis, we found that the change in the chiral droplets' Bragg reflection can be correlated with the CLC-DLPC interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepideh Norouzi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA;
| | - Jose A. Martinez Gonzalez
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Av. Parque Chapultepec 1570, San Luis Potosí 78210 SLP, Mexico;
| | - Monirosadat Sadati
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA;
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Qu R, Li G. Overview of Liquid Crystal Biosensors: From Basic Theory to Advanced Applications. BIOSENSORS 2022; 12:205. [PMID: 35448265 PMCID: PMC9032088 DOI: 10.3390/bios12040205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystals (LCs), as the remarkable optical materials possessing stimuli-responsive property and optical modulation property simultaneously, have been utilized to fabricate a wide variety of optical devices. Integrating the LCs and receptors together, LC biosensors aimed at detecting various biomolecules have been extensively explored. Compared with the traditional biosensing technologies, the LC biosensors are simple, visualized, and efficient. Owning to the irreplaceable superiorities, the research enthusiasm for the LC biosensors is rapidly rising. As a result, it is necessary to overview the development of the LC biosensors to guide future work. This article reviews the basic theory and advanced applications of LC biosensors. We first discuss different mesophases and geometries employed to fabricate LC biosensors, after which we introduce various detecting mechanisms involved in biomolecular detection. We then focus on diverse detection targets such as proteins, enzymes, nucleic acids, glucose, cholesterol, bile acids, and lipopolysaccharides. For each of these targets, the development history and state-of-the-art work are exhibited in detail. Finally, the current challenges and potential development directions of the LC biosensors are introduced briefly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruixiang Qu
- Intelligent Optical Imaging and Sensing Group, Zhejiang Laboratory, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Guoqiang Li
- Intelligent Optical Imaging and Sensing Group, Zhejiang Laboratory, Hangzhou 311121, China
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