Concentric chiral nematic polymeric fibers from cellulose nanocrystals

Momeni, Arash; Walters, Christopher M.; Xu, Yonggang; Hamad, Wadood Y.; MacLachlan, Mark J.

doi:10.1039/d1na00425e

Cited by 15 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…The chiral liquid crystal (CLC) behaviors of either the CNC or M13 suspensions in confined spaces have been investigated in recent years. 18,19 For the current work, cylindrical glass capillaries with an inner diameter of ca. 1 mm were used as the confinement.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…† As reported in our previous works and also discussed in some recent works by others, in such confinement as the cylindrical capillary, the helical axis around which the biological rods rotate in a helical way is perpendicular to the interior surface of the capillary and arranges in a concentric fashion. 18,19…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1,[11][12][13] Recently, hydrogels with chiral internal structures have been reported by others and us through in situ gelation of the chiral liquid crystal (CLC) phases of biological nanorods such as M13 bacteriophages or cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). [18][19][20] In general, structural anisotropy confers hydrogels with many novel properties that their isotropic counterparts are short of, such as directiondependent mechanical strength, site-specific swelling/deswelling behaviors, prescribed stimuli-responsive shape changes, etc. 1,5,14 Together with the optical properties derived from the interactions of light with regular internal structures, these properties have dramatically expanded the applications of hydrogels in strain sensors, artificial muscles, naked-eye displays, advanced actuators, soft robotics, etc.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1,5,14 In the cases of the aforementioned chiral hydrogels with chiral internal structures, the chiral ordering of the embedded nanorods endows them with some unique material properties such as fingerprint textures with pitches and chiral optical properties. [18][19][20] In terms of the forms of materials, there has been increasing interest in hydrogel fibers with diameters ranging from several hundreds of nanometers to millimeters. Hydrogel fibers can be used for tissue-planting based health monitoring, human-machine interfacing, actuations or sensing in narrow spaces, electrical conduction or light guides, artificial muscles, and subunits for intelligent wearable devices and fabrics.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Multicomponent chiral hydrogel fibers with block configurations based on the chiral liquid crystals of cellulose nanocrystals and M13 bacteriophages

et al. 2022

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Multicomponent chiral hydrogel fibers with block configurations based on the chiral liquid crystals of cellulose nanocrystals and M13 bacteriophages

et al. 2022

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Chiral nematic cellulose nanocrystal composites: An organized review

De France

2024

Can J Chem Eng

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Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are commercially available materials derived from cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer on our planet. Due largely to their high strength, high surface area‐to‐volume ratio, tailorable surface chemistry, and the abundance of biomass feedstocks with which to produce them, CNCs have attracted significant interest in applications spanning the paints and coatings, composites, packaging, and biomedical sectors. However, and perhaps most interestingly, CNCs will self‐assemble (or, as I've teased in the title, organize) to form highly ordered chiral nematic liquid crystal phases when concentrated in suspension. Upon complete solvent evaporation, this chiral nematic order is ‘locked’, yielding films with structural colour—colour arising not due to chemical pigments, but rather due to the physical structure of a material itself. In the pursuit of novel multi‐functional materials, research interest has shifted recently towards the incorporation of functional additives to form composite chiral nematic films. Along with introducing the basics of liquid crystals and self‐assembly, this review discusses the main approaches used in order to form CNC‐based composite films: co‐assembly, templating, and post‐processing, and highlights exceptional examples in each case. Finally, I give my uniquely Canadian perspective on the current status, future prospects, and major challenges associated with the development of CNC‐based chiral nematic composite materials.

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3D Printing‐Assisted Self‐Assembly to Bio‐Inspired Bouligand Nanostructures

Esmaeili

George

Rezvan

et al. 2023

Small

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Architected materials with nano/microscale orders can provide superior mechanical properties; however, reproducing such levels of ordering in complex structures has remained challenging. Inspired by Bouligand structures in nature, here, 3D printing of complex geometries with guided long‐order radially twisted chiral hierarchy, using cellulose nanocrystals (CNC)‐based inks is presented. Detailed rheological measurements, in situ flow analysis, polarized optical microscopy (POM), and director field analysis are employed to evaluate the chiral assembly over the printing process. It is demonstrated that shear flow forces inside the 3D printer's nozzle orient individual CNC particles forming a pseudo‐nematic phase that relaxes to uniformly aligned concentric chiral nematic structures after the flow cessation. Acrylamide, a photo‐curable monomer, is incorporated to arrest the concentric chiral arrangements within the printed filaments. The time series POM snapshots show that adding the photo‐curable monomer at the optimized concentrations does not interfere with chiral self‐assemblies and instead increases the chiral relaxation rate. Due to the liquid‐like nature of the as‐printed inks, optimized Carbopol microgels are used to support printed filaments before photo‐polymerization. By paving the path towards developing bio‐inspired materials with nanoscale hierarchies in larger‐scale printed constructs, this biomimetic approach expands 3D printing materials beyond what has been realized so far.

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Concentric chiral nematic polymeric fibers from cellulose nanocrystals

Abstract: A cellulose nanocrystal liquid crystalline suspension was mixed with monomers and confined to a capillary tube. After photopolymerization, a fiber with a single-domain concentric chiral nematic structure throughout the length of the fiber was obtained.

Cited by 15 publications

References 44 publications

Multicomponent chiral hydrogel fibers with block configurations based on the chiral liquid crystals of cellulose nanocrystals and M13 bacteriophages

Multicomponent chiral hydrogel fibers with block configurations based on the chiral liquid crystals of cellulose nanocrystals and M13 bacteriophages

Chiral nematic cellulose nanocrystal composites: An organized review

3D Printing‐Assisted Self‐Assembly to Bio‐Inspired Bouligand Nanostructures

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