Light-Driven Dynamic Hierarchical Architecture of Three-Dimensional Self-Assembled Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Droplets

Du, Xiaoxue1,2; Yang, Fei1; Liu, Yanjun1; Gleeson, Helen F.2; Luo, Dan1

2023

10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c03040

LANGMUIR   Impact Factor & Quartile

0743-7463

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.

SCI

English

First ; Corresponding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)["62175098","61875081"] ; Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation[2021B1515020097]

Chemistry ; Materials Science

Chemistry, Multidisciplinary ; Chemistry, Physical ; Materials Science, Multidisciplinary

WOS:000921769200001

AMER CHEMICAL SOC

CHEMISTRY

Web of Science

1.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Dept Elect & Elect Engn, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China
2.Univ Leeds, Sch Phys & Astron, Leeds LS2 9JT, England

Du, Xiaoxue,Yang, Fei,Liu, Yanjun,et al. Light-Driven Dynamic Hierarchical Architecture of Three-Dimensional Self-Assembled Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Droplets[J]. LANGMUIR,2023.

Du, Xiaoxue,Yang, Fei,Liu, Yanjun,Gleeson, Helen F.,&Luo, Dan.(2023).Light-Driven Dynamic Hierarchical Architecture of Three-Dimensional Self-Assembled Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Droplets.LANGMUIR.

Du, Xiaoxue,et al."Light-Driven Dynamic Hierarchical Architecture of Three-Dimensional Self-Assembled Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Droplets".LANGMUIR (2023).