Anyfantakis Manos, Jampani Venkata S R, Kizhakidathazhath Rijeesh, Binks Bernard P, Lagerwall Jan P F
Department of Physics and Materials Science, University of Luxembourg, 162a Avenue de la Faïencerie, 1511, Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Hull, HU6 7RX, Hull, UK.
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2020 Oct 19;59(43):19260-19267. doi: 10.1002/anie.202008210. Epub 2020 Aug 26.
Liquid marbles have potential to serve as mini-reactors for fabricating new materials, but this has been exploited little and mostly for conventional chemical reactions. Here, we uncover the unparalleled capability of liquid marbles to act as platforms for controlling the self-assembly of a bio-derived polymer, hydroxypropyl cellulose, into a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase showing structural coloration by Bragg reflection. By adjusting the cholesteric pitch via quantitative water extraction, we achieve liquid marbles that we can tailor for structural color anywhere in the visible range. Liquid marbles respond with color change that can be detected by eye, to changes in temperature, exposure to toxic chemicals and mechanical deformation. Our concept demonstrates the advantages of using liquid marbles as a miniature platform for controlling the liquid crystal self-assembly of bio-derived polymers, and their exploitation to fabricate sustainable, responsive soft photonic objects.
液滴弹有潜力作为制造新材料的微型反应器，但这方面的应用很少，且大多用于传统化学反应。在此，我们发现液滴弹具有无与伦比的能力，可作为控制生物衍生聚合物羟丙基纤维素自组装成胆甾相液晶相的平台，该液晶相通过布拉格反射呈现结构色。通过定量水萃取来调节胆甾相螺距，我们实现了可以在可见光谱范围内的任何位置定制结构色的液滴弹。液滴弹会随着温度变化、接触有毒化学物质以及机械变形而发生肉眼可检测到的颜色变化。我们的概念证明了使用液滴弹作为控制生物衍生聚合物液晶自组装的微型平台的优势，以及利用它们制造可持续、响应性软光子物体的优势。
