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Related Concept Videos

Chirality02:25

Chirality

27.7K
Chirality is a term that describes the lack of mirror symmetry in an object. In other words, chiral objects cannot be superposed on their mirror images. For example, our feet are chiral, as the mirror image of the left foot, the right foot, cannot be superposed on the left foot.
Chiral objects exhibit a sense of handedness when they interact with another chiral object. For example, our left foot can only fit in the left shoe and not in the right shoe. Achiral objects — objects that have...
27.7K
Chirality in Nature02:30

Chirality in Nature

15.1K
Chirality is the most intriguing yet essential facet of nature, governing life’s biochemical processes and precision. It can be observed from a snail shell pattern in a macroscopic world to an amino acid, the minutest building block of life. Most of the snails around the world have right-coiled shells because of the intrinsic chirality in their genes. All the amino acids present in the human body exist in an enantiomerically pure state, except for glycine - the sole achiral amino acid.
15.1K
Molecules with Multiple Chiral Centers02:25

Molecules with Multiple Chiral Centers

14.1K
Molecules that possess multiple chiral centers can afford a large number of stereoisomers. For instance, while some molecules like 2-butanol have one chiral center, defined as a tetrahedral carbon atom with four different substituents attached, several molecules like butane-2,3-diol have multiple chiral centers. A simple formula to predict the number of stereoisomers possible for a molecule with n chiral centers is 2n. However, there can be a lower number where some of the stereoisomers are...
14.1K
Properties of Enantiomers and Optical Activity02:24

Properties of Enantiomers and Optical Activity

19.4K
It is essential to understand the difference between chiral and achiral interactions and the implications thereof in optical activity and their applications. Just as our feet, which are chiral, interact uniquely with chiral objects, such as a pair of shoes, but identically with achiral socks, enantiomers of a molecule exhibit different properties only when they interact with other chiral media. An example of a significant implication from this facet is the phenomenon known as optical activity,...
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Prochirality02:05

Prochirality

4.3K
The concept of prochirality leads to the nomenclature of the individual faces of a molecule and plays a crucial role in the enantioselective reaction. It is a concept where two or more achiral molecules react to produce chiral products. A typical process is the reaction of an achiral ketone to generate a chiral alcohol. Here, the achiral reactant reacts with an achiral reducing agent, sodium borohydride, to generate an equimolar mixture of the chiral enantiomers of the product. For example, an...
4.3K
Stereoisomerism of Cyclic Compounds02:33

Stereoisomerism of Cyclic Compounds

10.3K
In this lesson, we delve into the role of ring conformation and its stability, which determines the spatial arrangement and, consequently, the molecular symmetry and stereoisomerism of cyclic compounds. 1,2-Dimethylcyclohexane is used as a case study to evaluate the possible number of stereoisomers. Here, given the multiple (n = 2) chiral centers, there are 2n = 4 possible configurations that lack a plane of symmetry, as the ring skeleton exists in a non-planar chair conformation. In addition,...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 2, 2025

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

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Bioinspired, Cholesteric Liquid-Crystal Reflectors with Time-Controlled Coexisting Chiral and Achiral Structures.

Cécilia Boyon1, Vanessa Soldan2, Michel Mitov1

  • 1Centre d'Elaboration de Matériaux et d'Etudes Structurales, CEMES, CNRS, 31055 Toulouse, France.

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|June 16, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Researchers mimicked beetle cuticle structures to create tunable, color-changing liquid crystals. These materials can be used for smart labels that track product storage history by changing color over time.

Keywords:
bioinspirationcholesteric liquid crystalsphotonic crystalssmart labelsstructural colorstructure-gradient materialstime-responsive reflective colortime−temperature indicators

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Novel Techniques for Observing Structural Dynamics of Photoresponsive Liquid Crystals
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Novel Techniques for Observing Structural Dynamics of Photoresponsive Liquid Crystals

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High-Contrast and Fast Photorheological Switching of a Twist-Bend Nematic Liquid Crystal
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High-Contrast and Fast Photorheological Switching of a Twist-Bend Nematic Liquid Crystal

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High-Contrast and Fast Photorheological Switching of a Twist-Bend Nematic Liquid Crystal
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Area of Science:

  • Biomimetics and Materials Science
  • Chiral Liquid Crystals
  • Optical Metamaterials

Background:

  • The chitin-based cuticle of beetles exhibits unique optical properties due to its twisted, periodic nanostructures.
  • Observation of depth-dependent Bragg gratings in *Chrysina* beetle cuticles inspired this research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To experimentally replicate beetle cuticle structures using cholesteric liquid-crystal oligomers.
  • To correlate the optical properties of synthesized reflectors with their internal morphology.
  • To develop time-tunable, color-changing materials for smart label applications.

Main Methods:

  • Transcription of beetle cuticle Bragg gratings into cholesteric liquid-crystal oligomers.
  • Characterization of optical properties and reflection colors.
  • Morphological analysis using transmission electron microscopy.
  • Tuning reflection color via thermal annealing time.

Main Results:

  • Successful synthesis of hybrid chiral-achiral materials mimicking beetle cuticle optical properties.
  • Demonstration of time-tunable reflection colors (golden yellow to Near-Infrared) controlled by annealing time.
  • Achieved irreversible final color states, indicating material stability.
  • Developed smart reflective labels capable of recording product conservation history.

Conclusions:

  • The synthesized liquid-crystal oligomers effectively mimic the optical characteristics of beetle cuticles.
  • Thermal annealing provides a controllable method for tuning reflection color and creating irreversible color states.
  • These materials offer a promising platform for fabricating smart labels that provide qualitative and quantitative information on product storage conditions.