Impact of mesogenic aromaticity and cyano termination on the alignment and stability of liquid crystal shells

Sharma, Anjali; Kizhakidathazhath, Rijeesh; Lagerwall, Jan P. F.

doi:10.1039/d3sm00041a

Cited by 7 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 42 publications

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“…Both LC droplets and shells have quite strong curvature-and interfacial tension-driven effects and are usually stabilized by dilute solutions of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), an amphiphilic polymer which preferentially adsorbs at the LC/water interface [37, 38][6, 35, 39-42]. While PVA prevents droplet and shell coalescence and splashing [6,21,35,39,40,42,43], PVA strongly reduces the sensitivity of the LC interface to the adsorption of other amphiphiles of potential interest [18,26,29]. The use of PVA also has additional drawbacks: PVA is an amphiphilic polymer with multiple configurations and structures possible, with unknown interactions with the LC-water interface.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biosensing with Oleosin-Stabilized Liquid Crystal Droplets

Honaker,

Eijffius,

Plankensteiner

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Liquid crystals (LCs) are rapidly emerging as novel platforms for chemical, physical, and biological sensing. With regards to biosensing, LCs can be used to detect amphiphiles such as lipids, fatty acids, digestive surfactants, and bacterial endotoxins. However, designing LC-based sensors in a manner that preserves their sensitivity and responsiveness to these stimuli, and possibly increasing the biocompatibility, remains challenging. In this work, we investigate the stabilization of LC droplets by oleosins, plant-sourced and highly surface active proteins due to their extended amphipathic helix. We show that purified oleosins, at sub-μM concentrations, readily stabilize nematic LC droplets without switching their alignment, allowing them to detect surfactants at μM concentrations. We give direct evidence of the localization of oleosins at the LC-water interface using fluorescent labelling, and show that the stabilized droplets remain stable over months. Interestingly, chiral LC droplets readily switch in the presence of nanomolar oleosin concentrations, an unexpected behavior that we explain by accounting for the energy barriers required for switching the alignment between the two cases. We thus set forth a two-fold conclusion: oleosin-stablized nematic LC droplets present a biocompatible and sustainable alternative for bioanalyte detection, while chiral LCs can be used as highly sensitive and non-invasive sensors for detecting amphipathic helices in biological systems.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biosensing with Oleosin-Stabilized Liquid Crystal Droplets

Honaker,

Eijffius,

Plankensteiner

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Biosensing with Oleosin‐Stabilized Liquid Crystal Droplets

Honaker,

Eijffius,

Plankensteiner

et al. 2024

Small

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Liquid crystals (LCs) are emerging as novel platforms for chemical, physical, and biological sensing. They can be used to detect biological amphiphiles such as lipids, fatty acids, digestive surfactants, and bacterial endotoxins. However, designing LC‐based sensors in a manner that preserves their sensitivity and responsiveness to these stimuli, and possibly improves biocompatibility, remains challenging. In this work, the stabilization of LC droplets by oleosins, plant‐sourced and highly surface active proteins due to their extended amphipathic helix, is investigated. Purified oleosins, at sub‐micromolar concentrations, are shown to readily stabilize nematic LC droplets without switching their alignment, allowing them to detect surfactants at micromolar concentrations. Direct evidence of localization of oleosins at the LC–water interface is provided with fluorescent labeling, and the stabilized droplets remain stable over months. Interestingly, chiral LC droplets readily switch in the presence of nanomolar oleosin concentrations, an unexpected behavior that is explained by accounting for the energy barriers required for switching the alignment between the two cases. This leads thus to a twofold conclusion: oleosin‐stabilized nematic LC droplets present a biocompatible alternative for bioanalyte detection, while chiral LCs can be further investigated for use as highly sensitive sensors for detecting amphipathic helices in biological systems.

show abstract