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High-Contrast and Fast Photorheological Switching of a Twist-Bend Nematic Liquid Crystal
Published on: October 31, 2019
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Design of nematic liquid crystals to control microscale dynamics
1Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, Department of Physics, Materials Science Graduate Program, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA.
Liquid Crystals Reviews
|December 27, 2021
Summary
Liquid crystals offer unprecedented control over microscale particle dynamics. By patterning liquid crystals, scientists can guide bacteria and active droplets, enabling new applications in micro-robotics and targeted drug delivery.
Area of Science:
- Soft Matter Physics
- Microfluidics
- Biophysics
Background:
- Controlling microscale particle motion (living and inanimate) is crucial for technological advancements.
- Traditional methods struggle with the chaotic dynamics of small particles.
- Liquid crystals (LCs) possess unique properties like orientational order and anisotropy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review methods for commanding microscale dynamics using patterned liquid crystals.
- To explore LC-enabled phenomena such as solitary waves and self-locomotion.
- To demonstrate LC guidance of active particles and engineered surfaces.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing photoalignment to create predefined patterns in liquid crystals.
- Applying electric fields to induce nonlinear electrokinetics in anisotropic LCs.
- Developing patterned liquid crystal elastomers activated by heat or light.
Main Results:
- LC patterns effectively guide swimming bacteria trajectories and collective behavior.
- Anisotropic LCs facilitate particle transport via nonlinear electrokinetics.
- Patterned LC elastomers generate deterministic surface topographies for cell orientation.
Conclusions:
- Liquid crystals provide a powerful platform for precise microscale dynamics control.
- LC-based guidance offers advanced capabilities beyond simple particle following.
- This approach holds significant promise for commanding microscale active flows and bio-integrated systems.
