Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy01:05

Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy

13.8K
Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy or TIRF is an advanced microscopic technique used to visualize fluorophores in samples close to a solid surface with a higher refractive index, such as a glass coverslip. TIRF only allows fluorophores in proximity to the solid surface to be excited. When light from a medium with a lower refractive index (such as air) hits the glass coverslip at a critical angle, the light undergoes total internal reflection stead of passing through the glass.
13.8K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Air-permeable hydrogels through viscoelastic phase separation of aerogels.

Nature·2026
Same author

Antibiotics stimulate protein transfer to persister cells.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

Ion-triggered reconfigurable hydrogels with salt-enhanced mechanical and swelling properties via network topological adaptation.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Implantable living materials autonomously deliver therapeutics using contained engineered bacteria.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

Rapid fabrication of solvent-compatible NOA 81 microfluidic devices for double-emulsion microfluidics.

Lab on a chip·2026
Same author

Green Oil-in-Water Nanoemulsions for Delivery of Phytochemicals With Pesticidal Activity for Sustainable Food Production and Safety.

Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 19, 2026

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
06:26

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets

Published on: May 15, 2017

7.8K

Light-directing omnidirectional circularly polarized reflection from liquid-crystal droplets.

Jing Fan1, Yannian Li, Hari Krishna Bisoyi

  • 1School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 (USA).

Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|December 10, 2014
PubMed
Summary

Researchers created a tunable 3D photonic superstructure using cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) droplets. This self-organized material allows for light-controlled color reflection, crucial for smart molecular devices.

Keywords:
colorliquid-crystal dropletsmicrofluidicsomnidirectional selective reflectionphotonic crystals

More Related Videos

An Electrochemical Cholesteric Liquid Crystalline Device for Quick and Low-Voltage Color Modulation
10:33

An Electrochemical Cholesteric Liquid Crystalline Device for Quick and Low-Voltage Color Modulation

Published on: February 27, 2019

9.1K
Preparation of Liquid Crystal Networks for Macroscopic Oscillatory Motion Induced by Light
07:56

Preparation of Liquid Crystal Networks for Macroscopic Oscillatory Motion Induced by Light

Published on: September 20, 2017

12.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 19, 2026

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
06:26

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets

Published on: May 15, 2017

7.8K
An Electrochemical Cholesteric Liquid Crystalline Device for Quick and Low-Voltage Color Modulation
10:33

An Electrochemical Cholesteric Liquid Crystalline Device for Quick and Low-Voltage Color Modulation

Published on: February 27, 2019

9.1K
Preparation of Liquid Crystal Networks for Macroscopic Oscillatory Motion Induced by Light
07:56

Preparation of Liquid Crystal Networks for Macroscopic Oscillatory Motion Induced by Light

Published on: September 20, 2017

12.3K

Area of Science:

  • Nanofabrication
  • Materials Science
  • Photonics

Background:

  • Self-organized three-dimensional (3D) superstructures are vital for creating smart molecular devices.
  • Tailoring functionality in these structures is a key challenge in nanofabrication.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To fabricate a self-organized, phototunable 3D photonic superstructure.
  • To utilize monodisperse droplets of one-dimensional cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) with photosensitive chiral molecular switches.

Main Methods:

  • A glass capillary microfluidic technique was employed to create CLC droplets dispersed in a PVA solution.
  • Planar anchoring of liquid-crystal molecules at the droplet surface was facilitated by the PVA solution.
  • Selective circular polarized reflection was observed from individual droplets under normal incidence.

Main Results:

  • Photoirradiation of the CLC droplets resulted in dynamic reflection colors without thermal relaxation.
  • The reflection color wavelength was reversibly tuned by adjusting the photoirradiation time.
  • The study demonstrated phototunable reflection in all directions from the 3D superstructure.

Conclusions:

  • The successful fabrication of a phototunable 3D photonic superstructure from CLC droplets was achieved.
  • This work offers a new method for dynamic color tuning in self-organized nanomaterials.
  • The developed superstructure holds potential for applications in smart molecular devices and advanced optical systems.