Liquid Crystals: Versatile Self-Organized Smart Soft Materials

Chemical Reviews, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 122(5), С. 4887 - 4926

Опубликована: Дек. 23, 2021

Smart soft materials are envisioned to be the building blocks of next generation advanced devices and digitally augmented technologies. In this context, liquid crystals (LCs) owing their responsive adaptive attributes could serve as promising smart materials. LCs played a critical role in revolutionizing information display industry 20th century. However, turn 21st century, numerous beyond-display applications have been demonstrated, which elegantly exploit controllable stimuli-responsive characteristics. For these applications, new LC rationally designed developed. Review, we present recent developments light driven chiral LCs, i.e., cholesteric blue phases, based windows that control entrance heat from outdoor interior buildings built environments depending on weather conditions, elastomers for bioinspired, biological, actuator biosensors detection proteins, nucleic acids, viruses, porous membranes separation ions, molecules, microbes, living under macro- nanoscopic confinement. The Review concludes with summary perspectives challenges opportunities This is anticipated stimulate eclectic ideas toward implementation nature's delicate phase matter future generations beyond.

Язык: Английский

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Beyond the Visible: Bioinspired Infrared Adaptive Materials

Advanced Materials, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 33(14)

Опубликована: Фев. 24, 2021

Abstract Infrared (IR) adaptation phenomena are ubiquitous in nature and biological systems. Taking inspiration from natural creatures, researchers have devoted extensive efforts for developing advanced IR adaptive materials exploring their applications areas of smart camouflage, thermal energy management, biomedical science, many other IR‐related technological fields. Herein, an up‐to‐date review is provided on the recent advancements bioinspired promising applications. First overview artificial technologies presented. Recent endeavors then introduced toward camouflage radiative cooling. According to Stefan‐Boltzmann law, can be realized by either emissivity engineering or cloaks. cooling maximize radiation object through atmospheric transparency window, thus holds great potential use energy‐efficient green buildings personal management advances emerging near‐IR (NIR) also discussed, including NIR‐triggered technologies, NIR light‐fueled soft robotics, light‐driven supramolecular nanosystems. This concludes with a perspective challenges opportunities future development materials.

Язык: Английский

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Supramolecular Chirality Transfer toward Chiral Aggregation: Asymmetric Hierarchical Self‐Assembly

Advanced Science, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 8(8)

Опубликована: Март 1, 2021

Abstract Self‐assembly, as a typical bottom‐up strategy for the fabrication of functional materials, has been applied to fabricate chiral materials with subtle nanostructures. The nanostructures exhibit great potential in asymmetric catalysis, sensing, electronics, photonics, and even realization several biological functions. According existing studies, supramolecular chirality transfer process combined hierarchical self‐assembly plays vital role multiscale structures. This progress report focuses on or achiral molecules that aggregate spatial structures such twisted bands, helices, superhelices different environments. Herein, recent studies induced based variety interactions are summarized. In addition, influence environments states systems including solutions, condensed states, gel systems, interfaces self‐assembly, expression explored. Moreover, both driving forces facilitate bias play an important expression, transfer, amplification sense correspondingly discussed.

Язык: Английский

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Fluorescent Photochromic α‐Cyanodiarylethene Molecular Switches: An Emerging and Promising Class of Functional Diarylethene

Advanced Functional Materials, Год журнала: 2020, Номер 31(7)

Опубликована: Ноя. 3, 2020

Abstract Fluorescent photochromic molecules that exhibit distinct light‐triggered changes in their emission colors are highly desirable for the fabrication of smart soft materials and advanced photonic devices. α‐Cyanodiarylethenes, is, α‐cyano‐functionalized diarylethenes, as alternative “non‐azo” Z/E molecular switches, popular choices due to unique characteristics such aggregation‐induced or aggregation‐induced‐enhanced behavior self‐assembled states, visible fluorescence during photoisomerization. In recent years, development fluorescent α‐cyanodiarylethene‐based compounds including α‐cyanostilbenes, dicyanodistyrylbenzenes, diaryldicyanoethenes, has mainly focused on design, photochemical photophysical solution, matter technologies. this review, significant achievements light‐responsive systems based photoisomerization α‐cyanodiarylethene switches span range from liquid crystals gels finally nanostructures, highlighted. The constructed find use a plethora areas, display, sensing, encrypting, actuating, biomedical imaging applications, among others. review concludes with brief perspective some major challenges opportunities future materials.

Язык: Английский

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Self-assembled inorganic chiral superstructures

Nature Reviews Chemistry, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 6(2), С. 125 - 145

Опубликована: Янв. 17, 2022

Язык: Английский

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Circularly polarized luminescent self‐organized helical superstructures: From materials and stimulus‐responsiveness to applications

Aggregate, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 2(6)

Опубликована: Окт. 22, 2021

Abstract Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) has gained considerable attention in various systems and rapidly developed into an emerging research field. To meet the needs of actual applications diverse fields, a high dissymmetry factor ( g lum ) tunable optical performance CPL would be most urgent pursuit for researchers. Accordingly, many materials strategies have been to address these critical issues. Emissive cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs), that is, luminescent self‐organized helical superstructures, are considered ideal candidates constructing CPL‐active materials, as they not only exhibit values, but also enable flexible control CPL. This review mainly summarizes characteristics based on CLCs bulk phase doped with different emitters, including aggregated induced emission molecules, conventional organic small polymer metal–organic complex nanoparticles. In addition, recent significant progress stimulus‐responsive emissive terms several types stimuli, light, electricity, temperature, mechanical force, multiple stimuli is presented. Finally, short perspective opportunities challenges associated CLC field provided. anticipated offer new insights guidelines developing CLC‐based broader applications.

Язык: Английский

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Tunable liquid crystal grating based holographic 3D display system with wide viewing angle and large size

Light Science & Applications, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 11(1)

Опубликована: Июнь 21, 2022

As one of the most ideal display approaches, holographic 3-dimensional (3D) has always been a research hotspot since images reproduced in such system are very similar to what humans see actual environment. However, current 3D displays suffer from critical bottlenecks narrow viewing angle and small size. Here, we propose tunable liquid crystal grating-based with wide large Our grating, providing an adjustable period secondary diffraction reconstructed image, enables simultaneously implement two different hologram generation methods achieving enlarged size, respectively. By using mechanism proposed breaks through limitations size display. The shows 57.4°, which is nearly 7 times conventional case single spatial light modulator, image by about 4.2. will have applications medical diagnosis, advertising, education entertainment other fields.

Язык: Английский

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Irradiation‐Wavelength Directing Circularly Polarized Luminescence in Self‐Organized Helical Superstructures Enabled by Hydrogen‐Bonded Chiral Fluorescent Molecular Switches

Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 60(52), С. 27158 - 27163

Опубликована: Сен. 22, 2021

Two light-driven chiral fluorescent molecular switches, (R,S,R)-switch 1 and 2, are prepared by means of hydrogen-bonded (H-bonded) assembly a photoresponsive (S) molecule, respectively with cyano substitution at different positions as an H-bond acceptor opposite (R) molecule donor. The resulting two switches exhibit tunable reversible Z/E photoisomerization irradiated 450 nm blue 365 UV light. When doped into achiral liquid crystal, both found to be able form CPL luminescent helical superstructure. In contrast the characteristics system incorporating switch exposure radiation can lead controllable photostationary behavior, including switching-off polarization inversion. addition, optical information coding is demonstrated using containing 1.

Язык: Английский

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Recent Progress in Liquid Crystal‐Based Smart Windows: Materials, Structures, and Design

Laser & Photonics Review, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 17(1)

Опубликована: Ноя. 30, 2022

Abstract As the vital elements for building environments, windows are utilized to bring light as well thermal irradiation into interior places and afford medium communication between exterior of buildings. Liquid crystal (LC)‐based smart windows, which mainly made LC materials or polymer/LC composites, can dynamically modulate transmittance regulate heat radiation entering buildings from sun via orientation variation molecules. Such play an important role in intelligent energy conservation, contributes providing a more comfortable low‐energy‐consumption living environment mankind. In this review, recent progress LC‐based each category is overviewed. New materials, new ideas, methods improve performance conventional create novel window technologies outlined. Different advanced technologies, including electrochromism, thermochromism, photochromism, humidity‐triggered chromism, mechanical self‐powered technique, dynamic infrared regulating mechanisms, discussed systematically. The applications indoor illumination/privacy protection switching, human‐machine interaction, regulation highlighted. Last, challenges perspectives also provided.

Язык: Английский

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Color liquid crystal grating based color holographic 3D display system with large viewing angle

Light Science & Applications, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 13(1)

Опубликована: Янв. 15, 2024

Abstract Holographic 3D display is highly desirable for numerous applications ranging from medical treatments to military affairs. However, it challenging simultaneously achieve large viewing angle and high-fidelity color reconstruction due the intractable constraints of existing technology. Here, we conceptually propose experimentally demonstrate a simple feasible pathway using well-designed liquid crystal grating overcome inevitable chromatic aberration enlarge holographic angle, thus enabling large-viewing-angle display. The use allows performing secondary diffraction modulation on red, green blue reproduced images extending in system. In principle, aberration-free hologram generation mechanism combination with proposed pave way such superior system shows ~50.12°, which about 7 times that traditional single spatial light modulator. This work presents paradigm achieving display, expected provide new wide application

Язык: Английский

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