Solid‐State Cholesteric Liquid Crystals as an Emerging Platform for the Development of Optical Photonic Sensors

Abstract

Over the past decade, solid‐state cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCsolid) have emerged as a promising photonic material, heralding new opportunities for the advancement of optical photonic biosensors and actuators. The periodic helical structure of CLCsolids gives rise to their distinctive capability of selectively reflecting incident radiation, rendering them highly promising contenders for a wide spectrum of photonic applications. Extensive research is conducted on utilizing CLCsolid’s optical characteristics to create optical sensors for bioassays, diagnostics, and environmental monitoring. This review provides an overview of emerging technologies in the field of interpenetrating polymeric network‐CLCsolid (IPN) and CLCsolid‐based optical sensors, including their structural designs, processing, essential materials, working principles, and fabrication methodologies. The review concludes with a forward‐looking perspective, addressing current challenges and potential trajectories for future research.

Beyond Color Boundaries: Pioneering Developments in Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Photonic Actuators

“…LCs can be classified into several types based on their molecular organization, including nematic, smectic, and cholesteric phases ( Figure 2 a). Cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs), also known as chiral nematic liquid crystals, constitute a subclass of LCs distinguished by a helical molecular arrangement [ 15 ]. This helical structure imbues CLCs with unique optical properties, notably selective reflection of circularly polarized light (CPL).…”