Guardià Jordi, Reina José Antonio, Giamberini Marta, Montané Xavier
Department of Analytical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, C/Marcel·lí Domingo 1, 43007 Tarragona, Spain.
Department of Chemical Engineering, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Països Catalans 26, 43007 Tarragona, Spain.
Polymers (Basel). 2024 Aug 14;16(16):2293. doi: 10.3390/polym16162293.
Liquid crystals have been extensively used in various applications, such as optoelectronic devices, biomedical applications, sensors and biosensors, and packaging, among others. Liquid crystal polymers are one type of liquid crystal material, combining their intrinsic properties with polymeric flexibility for advanced applications in displays and smart materials. For instance, liquid crystal polymers can serve as drug nanocarriers, forming cubic or hexagonal mesophases, which can be tailored for controlled drug release. Further applications of liquid crystals and liquid crystal polymers include the preparation of membranes for separation processes, such as wastewater treatment. Furthermore, these materials can be used as ion-conducting membranes for fuel cells or lithium batteries due to their broad types of mesophases. This review aims to provide an overall explanation and classification of liquid crystals and liquid crystal polymers. Furthermore, the great potential of these materials relies on their broad range of applications, which are determined by their unique properties. Moreover, this study provides the latest advances in liquid crystal polymer-based membranes and their applications, focusing especially on fuel cells. Moreover, future directions in the applications of various liquid crystals are highlighted.
液晶已被广泛应用于各种领域,如光电器件、生物医学应用、传感器和生物传感器以及包装等。液晶聚合物是一种液晶材料,它将自身的固有特性与聚合物的柔韧性相结合,用于显示器和智能材料等先进应用。例如,液晶聚合物可作为药物纳米载体,形成立方相或六方相中间相,可对其进行定制以实现药物的控释。液晶和液晶聚合物的进一步应用包括制备用于分离过程的膜,如废水处理。此外,由于这些材料具有多种类型的中间相,它们可被用作燃料电池或锂电池的离子传导膜。本综述旨在对液晶和液晶聚合物进行全面的解释和分类。此外,这些材料的巨大潜力取决于其广泛的应用范围,而这是由它们独特的性质决定的。此外,本研究提供了基于液晶聚合物的膜及其应用的最新进展,尤其关注燃料电池。此外,还强调了各种液晶应用的未来发展方向。