Browse
Submit Data
Databases
API
Help

Dataset Information

25 Views

0 Connections

0 Citations

0 Reanalyses

0 Downloads

Omics score: 0

Liquid Crystalline Colloidal Mixture of Nanosheets and Rods with Dynamically Variable Length.

ABSTRACT: Here, we demonstrate the novel double-component liquid crystalline colloids composed of mesogenic inorganic nanosheets and the rods with dynamically variable length controlled by temperature. As the length-controllable rod, stiff biopolymer microtubule is used, which was successfully polymerized/depolymerized from tubulin proteins through a biochemical process even in the presence of the nanosheets. The mesoscopic structure of the liquid crystal phase was reversibly modifiable as caused by the change of the rod length.

SUBMITTER: Kato R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6289543 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Json Xml

Publications

Liquid Crystalline Colloidal Mixture of Nanosheets and Rods with Dynamically Variable Length.

Kato Riki R Kakugo Akira A Shikinaka Kazuhiro K Ohsedo Yutaka Y Kabir Arif Md Rashedul AMR Miyamoto Nobuyoshi N

ACS omega 20181105 11

Here, we demonstrate the novel double-component liquid crystalline colloids composed of mesogenic inorganic nanosheets and the rods with dynamically variable length controlled by temperature. As the length-controllable rod, stiff biopolymer microtubule is used, which was successfully polymerized/depolymerized from tubulin proteins through a biochemical process even in the presence of the nanosheets. The mesoscopic structure of the liquid crystal phase was reversibly modifiable as caused by the c ...[more]

PMID: 30555995

Similar Datasets

Synthesis and Liquid-Crystal Behavior of Bent Colloidal Silica Rods.

Project description:The design and assembly of novel colloidal particles are of both academic and technological interest. We developed a wet-chemical route to synthesize monodisperse bent rigid silica rods by controlled perturbation of emulsion-templated growth. The bending angle of the rods can be tuned in a range of 0-50° by varying the strength of perturbation in the reaction temperature or pH in the course of rod growth. The length of each arm of the bent rods can be individually controlled by adjusting the reaction time. For the first time we demonstrated that the bent silica rods resemble banana-shaped liquid-crystal molecules and assemble into ordered structures with a typical smectic B2 phase. The bent silica rods could serve as a visualizable mesoscopic model for exploiting the phase behaviors of bent molecules which represent a typical class of liquid-crystal molecules.

| S-EPMC6033542 | biostudies-literature

Three-dimensional colloidal crystals in liquid crystalline blue phases.

Project description:Applications for photonic crystals and metamaterials put stringent requirements on the characteristics of advanced optical materials, demanding tunability, high Q factors, applicability in visible range, and large-scale self-assembly. Exploiting the interplay between structural and optical properties, colloidal lattices embedded in liquid crystals (LCs) are promising candidates for such materials. Recently, stable two-dimensional colloidal configurations were demonstrated in nematic LCs. However, the question as to whether stable 3D colloidal structures can exist in an LC had remained unanswered. We show, by means of computer modeling, that colloidal particles can self-assemble into stable, 3D, periodic structures in blue phase LCs. The assembly is based on blue phases providing a 3D template of trapping sites for colloidal particles. The particle configuration is determined by the orientational order of the LC molecules: Specifically, face-centered cubic colloidal crystals form in type-I blue phases, whereas body-centered crystals form in type-II blue phases. For typical particle diameters (approximately 100 nm) the effective binding energy can reach up to a few 100 k(B)T, implying robustness against mechanical stress and temperature fluctuations. Moreover, the colloidal particles substantially increase the thermal stability range of the blue phases, for a factor of two and more. The LC-supported colloidal structure is one or two orders of magnitude stronger bound than, e.g., water-based colloidal crystals.

| S-EPMC3069159 | biostudies-literature

Twist again: Dynamically and reversibly controllable chirality in liquid crystalline elastomer microposts.

Project description:Photoresponsive liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) constitute ideal actuators for soft robots because their light-induced macroscopic shape changes can be harnessed to perform specific articulated motions. Conventional LCEs, however, do not typically exhibit complex modes of bending and twisting necessary to perform sophisticated maneuvers. Here, we model LCE microposts encompassing side-chain mesogens oriented along a magnetically programmed nematic director, and azobenzene cross-linkers, which determine the deformations of illuminated posts. On altering the nematic director orientation from vertical to horizontal, the post's bending respectively changes from light-seeking to light-avoiding. Moreover, both modeling and subsequent experiments show that with the director tilted at 45°, the initially achiral post reversibly twists into a right- or left-handed chiral structure, controlled by the angle of incident light. We exploit this photoinduced chirality to design "chimera" posts (encompassing two regions with distinct director orientations) that exhibit simultaneous bending and twisting, mimicking motions exhibited by the human musculoskeletal system.

| S-EPMC7101207 | biostudies-literature

Swelling Inhibition of Liquid Crystalline Colloidal Montmorillonite and Beidellite Clays by DNA.

Project description:Exploring the interaction of nucleic acids with clay minerals is important to understand such issues as the persistence in soils of biomolecules and the appearance of genetic polymers in prebiotic environments. Colloidal dispersions of double stranded DNA and clay nanosheets may also provide interesting model systems to study the statistical physics of mixtures of semi-flexible rods and plates. Here, we show that adding very small amounts of DNA to liquid-crystalline montmorillonite and beidellite smectite clay suspensions strongly widens the isotropic/nematic phase coexistence region. Moreover, a spectroscopic study shows that, upon DNA addition, the first DNA molecules adsorb onto the clay particles. Remarkably, synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering experiments reveal that the average distance between the clay sheets, in the nematic phase at coexistence, decreases with increasing DNA concentration and that the inhibition of swelling by DNA becomes almost independent of clay concentration. We interpret this DNA-mediated attraction between clay nanosheets by bridging conformations of DNA strands (plates on a string structure). In addition to bridging, DNA chains can form "loops" between sections adsorbed on the same particle, giving rise to sheet repulsions due to protruding loops. This interpretation agrees with the observed inter-clay spacings being dependent only on the DNA concentration.

| S-EPMC5847546 | biostudies-other

Alignment of Colloidal Rods in Crowded Environments.

Project description:Understanding the hydrodynamic alignment of colloidal rods in polymer solutions is pivotal for manufacturing structurally ordered materials. How polymer crowding influences the flow-induced alignment of suspended colloidal rods remains unclear when rods and polymers share similar length scales. We tackle this problem by analyzing the alignment of colloidal rods suspended in crowded polymer solutions and comparing that to the case where crowding is provided by additional colloidal rods in a pure solvent. We find that the polymer dynamics govern the onset of shear-induced alignment of colloidal rods suspended in polymer solutions, and the control parameter for the alignment of rods is the Weissenberg number, quantifying the elastic response of the polymer to an imposed flow. Moreover, we show that the increasing colloidal alignment with the shear rate follows a universal trend that is independent of the surrounding crowding environment. Our results indicate that colloidal rod alignment in polymer solutions can be predicted on the basis of the critical shear rate at which polymer coils are deformed by the flow, aiding the synthesis and design of anisotropic materials.

| S-EPMC9281478 | biostudies-literature

Three-dimensional positioning and control of colloidal objects utilizing engineered liquid crystalline defect networks.

Project description:Topological defects in liquid crystals not only affect the optical and rheological properties of the host, but can also act as scaffolds in which to trap nano or micro-sized colloidal objects. The creation of complex defect shapes, however, often involves confining the liquid crystals in curved geometries or adds complex-shaped colloidal objects, which are unsuitable for device applications. Using topologically patterned substrates, here we demonstrate the controlled generation of three-dimensional defect lines with non-trivial shapes and even chirality, in a flat slab of nematic liquid crystal. By using the defect lines as templates and the electric response of the liquid crystals, colloidal superstructures are constructed, which can be reversibly reconfigured at a voltage as low as 1.3?V. Three-dimensional engineering of the defect shapes in liquid crystals is potentially useful in the fabrication of self-healing composites and in stabilizing artificial frustrated phases.

| S-EPMC4647884 | biostudies-other

Anomalous Diffusion Inside Soft Colloidal Suspensions Investigated by Variable Length Scale Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy.

Project description:The diffusion of molecules and particles inside the aqueous suspension of soft colloids (polymer microgels) is investigated using variable length scale fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (VLS-FCS). Carbopol 940 is chosen as the model matrix system, and two factors affecting diffusion are investigated: the spatial hindrance and the diffusant-matrix interaction. By studying diffusion of molecules and particles with different sizes inside the suspension, VLS-FCS reveals the restricted motion at a short length scale, that is, in the gaps between the microgels, and normal diffusion at a larger length scale. The information on the gap's length scale is also accessed. On the other hand, by tuning the pH value, the diffusant-matrix electrostatic attraction is adjusted and the results expose a short-time fast diffusion of probe molecules inside the gaps and a long-time restricted diffusion because of trapping inside the microgels. It is proved that VLS-FCS is a powerful method, investigating anomalous diffusion at different length scales and it is a promising approach to investigate diffusion in complex soft matter systems.

| S-EPMC7241028 | biostudies-literature

Switching plastic crystals of colloidal rods with electric fields.

Project description:When a crystal melts into a liquid both long-ranged positional and orientational order are lost, and long-time translational and rotational self-diffusion appear. Sometimes, these properties do not change at once, but in stages, allowing states of matter such as liquid crystals or plastic crystals with unique combinations of properties. Plastic crystals/glasses are characterized by long-ranged positional order/frozen-in-disorder but short-ranged orientational order, which is dynamic. Here we show by quantitative three-dimensional studies that charged rod-like colloidal particles form three-dimensional plastic crystals and glasses if their repulsions extend significantly beyond their length. These plastic phases can be reversibly switched to full crystals by an electric field. These new phases provide insight into the role of rotations in phase behaviour and could be useful for photonic applications.

| S-EPMC3905722 | biostudies-literature

Colloidal Monolayer ?-In2Se3 Nanosheets with High Photoresponsivity.

Project description:We report a low-temperature colloidal synthesis of single-layer, five-atom-thick, ?-In2Se3 nanosheets with lateral sizes tunable from ?300 to ?900 nm, using short aminonitriles (dicyandiamide or cyanamide) as shape controlling agents. The phase and the monolayer nature of the nanosheets were ascertained by analyzing the intensity ratio between two diffraction peaks from two-dimensional slabs of the various phases, determined by diffraction simulations. These findings were further backed-up by comparing and fitting the experimental X-ray diffraction pattern with Debye formula simulated patterns and with side-view high-resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging and simulation. The ?-In2Se3 nanosheets were found to be indirect band gap semiconductors (Eg = 1.55 eV), and single nanosheet photodetectors demonstrated high photoresponsivity and fast response times.

| S-EPMC5942869 | biostudies-literature

Dynamically variable negative stiffness structures.

Project description:Variable stiffness structures that enable a wide range of efficient load-bearing and dexterous activity are ubiquitous in mammalian musculoskeletal systems but are rare in engineered systems because of their complexity, power, and cost. We present a new negative stiffness-based load-bearing structure with dynamically tunable stiffness. Negative stiffness, traditionally used to achieve novel response from passive structures, is a powerful tool to achieve dynamic stiffness changes when configured with an active component. Using relatively simple hardware and low-power, low-frequency actuation, we show an assembly capable of fast (<10 ms) and useful (>100×) dynamic stiffness control. This approach mitigates limitations of conventional tunable stiffness structures that exhibit either small (<30%) stiffness change, high friction, poor load/torque transmission at low stiffness, or high power active control at the frequencies of interest. We experimentally demonstrate actively tunable vibration isolation and stiffness tuning independent of supported loads, enhancing applications such as humanoid robotic limbs and lightweight adaptive vibration isolators.

| S-EPMC4788489 | biostudies-literature

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

OmicsDI is an Elixir interoperability service. Learn more ›

Tweets

OmicsDI Databases

PRIDE
PeptideAtlas
MassIVE
JPOST Repository
Physiome Model Repository

EGA
EVA
ENA
LINCS
PAXDB
Cell Collective

MetaboLights
Metabolomics Workbench
MetabolomeExpress
GNPS
BioModels
FAIRDOMHub

ArrayExpress
dbGaP
ExpressionAtlas
GEO
NODE

Information

Databases
Help
API
Contact us
Code on GitHub
Terms of use
Submit Data