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Spectral and Angle-Resolved Magneto-Optical Characterization of Photonic Nanostructures
Published on: November 21, 2019
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Stimuli-responsive hydroxyapatite liquid crystal with macroscopically controllable ordering and magneto-optical
Masanari Nakayama1, Satoshi Kajiyama1, Akihito Kumamoto2
1Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan.
Nature Communications
|February 10, 2018
Summary
Researchers developed novel liquid-crystalline hydroxyapatite (HAp), an inorganic material. These biocompatible HAp liquid crystals exhibit stimuli-responsive properties and can be oriented by external fields.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biomaterials Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Liquid crystals are typically organic molecules, with limited inorganic counterparts.
- Hydroxyapatite (HAp) is a biocompatible and environmentally friendly biomineral.
- Developing inorganic liquid crystals offers new material functionalities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop liquid-crystalline (LC) hydroxyapatite (HAp) materials.
- To investigate the alignment behavior, magneto-optical properties, and structure of these novel LC HAp nanorods.
- To explore their potential as bio-friendly functional materials.
Main Methods:
- Inducing LC properties into aqueous colloidal dispersions of rod-shaped HAp by controlling morphology with acidic macromolecules.
- Orienting LC HAp nanorod materials using external magnetic fields and mechanical forces.
- Analyzing atomic-scale structures using transmission electron microscopy.
Main Results:
- Successfully developed liquid-crystalline hydroxyapatite (LC HAp).
- LC HAp nanorods exhibit macroscopic orientation in response to magnetic fields and mechanical forces.
- Achieved magnetic modulation of optical transmission through dynamic control of LC order.
- Transmission electron microscopy revealed self-organized inorganic/organic hybrid structures.
Conclusions:
- Liquid-crystalline hydroxyapatite is a novel, bio-friendly functional material.
- The material's facile preparation and stimuli-responsive properties make it promising for advanced applications.
- These findings open avenues for inorganic liquid crystals in bio-applications.
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