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Updated: Jul 29, 2025
Synthesis of Biocompatible Liquid Crystal Elastomer Foams as Cell Scaffolds for 3D Spatial Cell Cultures
Published on: April 11, 2017
Liquid Crystal Materials for Biomedical Applications
Zhuohao Zhang1, Xinyuan Yang1, Yuanjin Zhao1,2
1Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, and the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, the International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
Abstract:
Liquid crystal is a state of matter being intermediate between solid and liquid. Liquid crystal materials exhibit both orientational order and fluidity. While liquid crystals have long been highly recognized in the display industry, in recent decades, liquid crystals provide new opportunities into the cross-field of material science and biomedicine due to their biocompatibility, multifunctionality, and responsiveness. In this review, the latest achievements of liquid crystal materials applied in biomedical fields are summarized. The start is made by introducing the basic concepts of liquid crystals, and then shifting to the components of liquid crystals as well as functional materials derived therefrom. After that, the ongoing and foreseeable applications of liquid crystal materials in the biomedical field with emphasis put on several cutting-edge aspects, including drug delivery, bioimaging, tissue engineering, implantable devices, biosensing, and wearable devices are discussed. It is hoped that this review will stimulate ingenious ideas for the future generation of liquid crystal-based drug development, artificial implants, disease diagnosis, health status monitoring, and beyond.
