Travelling colourful patterns in self-organized cellulose-based liquid crystalline structures

Silva, Pedro E. S.; Chagas, Ricardo; Fernandes, Susete N.; Pierański, P.; Selinger, Robin L. B.; Godinho, M. H.

doi:10.1038/s43246-021-00182-7

Cited by 7 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…3). The authors referred that inside the vials the pitch of the solutions decreased (all solutions became blue), and after some days similar as for CA in TFA, isotropic solutions developed [23].…”

mentioning

confidence: 87%

“…Recently, the formation of oscillating "travelling" coloured patterns in cellulose-based lyotropic liquid crystals was reported [23]. The unexpected behaviour was attributed to chemical reaction-diffusion mechanisms and solvent evaporation at boundaries.…”

Section: Moving Colourful Waves In Cellulosic Systemsmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…2) show characteristic Bouligand plywood structures [20]. [21], the coloured "coffee ring effect" observed in dried CNCs droplets [22] and the moving colourful concentric rings radiating in-wards from the periphery of quasi 2D-preparations observed in liquid crystalline solutions of hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) in trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) [23].…”

Section: Cellulose Structural Coloursmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The liquid crystalline system investigated showed iridescence and coloration in vials changed from red to blue with polymer concentration. The spatiotemporal evolution of the system was investigated in closed vials and in samples collected from the vials and pressed between two glass plates [23] and inside capillaries [31]. In time, the samples constrained in different geometries were shown to develop completely different optical and chiroptical behaviours (Fig.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…A reversal of the handedness of nematic chiral phase was also observed. The inversion of helix handedness involved variation from positive to negative values of the helix wave vector ⁄ from sample centre to its periphery [23].…”

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confidence: 99%

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Colourful Patterns in Cellulose-Based Liquid Crystals

Silva¹,

Rosa²,

Chagas³

et al. 2021

Liq. Cryst. and their Appl.

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Cellulose-based thermotropic and lyotropic liquid crystals can be obtained from macromolecules or colloidal particles, such as cellulose nanocrystals. Thermotropic liquid crystals are produced by the effect of temperature, while lyotropic liquid crystals occur in solution for a given range of concentration, pressure, and temperature. Cellulose liquid crystals can form chiral nematic phases characterized by Bragg-type reflections of circularly polarized light. This characteristic is related to a helical structure formed by pseudo nematic layers twisted around an optical axis. The helical structure is characterized by the values of pitch and helicity. The later can be right-(R) or left-(L) handed. Cellulose liquid crystals are well described in literature. They are a source of materials for many applications, including the production of photonic chiral materials. Although many questions remain unanswered such as the origin of helicity of cellulosic chiral structures and those related to out-ofequilibrium systems. In this paper, we are focused at the out-of-equilibrium systems obtained from lyotropic cellulose-based liquid crystals. The development of colorful patterns involving the pitch variation in space and time of self-organized cellulose cholesteric structures is revised.

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confidence: 87%

Section: Moving Colourful Waves In Cellulosic Systemsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Cellulose Structural Coloursmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Colourful Patterns in Cellulose-Based Liquid Crystals

Silva¹,

Rosa²,

Chagas³

et al. 2021

Liq. Cryst. and their Appl.

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Cellulose and Chitin Twisted Structures: From Nature to Applications

Rosa

Fernandes

Mitov

et al. 2023

Adv Funct Materials

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Twisted structures are ubiquitous in plants and animals. Cellulose and chitin are natural polymers that form the structural skeleton of various twisted systems observed across different length scales, ranging from the molecular to the nano, micro, and macro scale. In addition, cellulose and chitin helicoidal structures are found to be responsible for structural coloration, enhanced mechanical properties, and motion. This review first addresses cellulose and chitin‐based chiral molecular systems and nanoscale helicoidal arrangements. Attention is given to cellulose nanocrystals, water interactions, out‐of‐equilibrium structural colorful structures formed by cellulose derivatives, and chitin's optical and mechanical properties. The discussion progresses to the micro and millimeter scales, where specific examples are presented to showcase specialized helical cellulose‐based organizations. The chosen examples illustrate the formation of different helicities, adaptative shapes, and movements at varying length scales, such as in vascular leaf petioles at the micro‐scale and millimeter‐scale in tendrils and awns of Erodium fruits. So far, the results indicate that significant work should be done on out‐of‐equilibrium systems. In addition, much must be learned from nature to produce novel twisted functional materials. This work aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the state‐of‐the‐art study of twisted cellulose and chitin‐based structures and their potential applications.

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Cellulose Nanocrystal Aqueous Colloidal Suspensions: Evidence of Density Inversion at the Isotropic‐Liquid Crystal Phase Transition

et al. 2022

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The colloidal suspensions of aqueous cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are known to form liquid crystalline (LC) systems above certain critical concentrations. From an isotropic phase, tactoid formation, growth, and sedimentation have been determined as the genesis of a high‐density cholesteric phase, which, after drying, originates solid iridescent films. Herein, the coexistence of a liquid crystal upper phase and an isotropic bottom phase in CNC aqueous suspensions at the isotropic–nematic phase separation is reported. Furthermore, isotropic spindle‐like domains are observed in the low‐density LC phase and high‐density LC phases are also prepared. The CNCs isolated from the low‐ and high‐density LC phases are found to have similar average lengths, diameters, and surface charges. The existence of an LC low‐density phase is explained by the presence of air dissolved in the water present within the CNCs. The air dissolves out when the water solidifies into ice and remains within the CNCs. The self‐adjustment of the cellulose chain conformation enables the entrapment of air within the CNCs and CNC buoyancy in aqueous suspensions.

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Travelling colourful patterns in self-organized cellulose-based liquid crystalline structures

Cited by 7 publications

References 41 publications

Colourful Patterns in Cellulose-Based Liquid Crystals

Colourful Patterns in Cellulose-Based Liquid Crystals

Cellulose and Chitin Twisted Structures: From Nature to Applications

Cellulose Nanocrystal Aqueous Colloidal Suspensions: Evidence of Density Inversion at the Isotropic‐Liquid Crystal Phase Transition

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