Bagchi Kushal, Emeršič Tadej, Martínez-González José A, de Pablo Juan J, Nealey Paul F
Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Av. Parque Chapultepec 1570, San Luis Potosí 78210 SLP, Mexico.
Sci Adv. 2023 Jul 28;9(30):eadh9393. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adh9393. Epub 2023 Jul 26.
Blue phase (BP) liquid crystals are chiral fluids wherein millions of molecules self-assemble into cubic lattices that are on the order of hundred nanometers. As the unit cell sizes of BPs are comparable to the wavelength of light, they exhibit selective Bragg reflections in the visible. The exploitation of the photonic properties of BPs for technological applications is made possible through photopolymerization, a process that renders mechanical robustness and thermal stability. We review here the preparation and characterization of stimuli-responsive, polymeric photonic crystals based on BPs. We highlight recent studies that demonstrate the promise that polymerized BP photonic crystals hold for colorimetric sensing and dynamic light control. We review using Landau-de Gennes simulations for predicting the self-assembly of BPs and the potential for using theory to guide experimental design. Finally, opportunities for using BPs to synthesize new soft materials, such as highly structured polymer meshes, are discussed.
蓝相（BP）液晶是手性流体，其中数百万个分子自组装成尺寸约为一百纳米的立方晶格。由于蓝相的晶胞尺寸与光的波长相当，它们在可见光范围内表现出选择性布拉格反射。通过光聚合作用，可以利用蓝相的光子特性用于技术应用，光聚合过程赋予了材料机械强度和热稳定性。在此，我们综述了基于蓝相的刺激响应型聚合物光子晶体的制备和表征。我们重点介绍了近期的研究，这些研究证明了聚合蓝相光子晶体在比色传感和动态光控制方面的潜力。我们还综述了使用朗道-德热纳模拟来预测蓝相的自组装以及利用理论指导实验设计的潜力。最后，讨论了使用蓝相合成新型软材料（如高度结构化聚合物网）的机会。
