Cholesteric Cellulose Liquid Crystal Fibers by Direct Drawing

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Polymer fibers are essential materials with growing demand for advanced functionalities.
• Simultaneously controlling structure across multiple length scales in polymer fibers remains a significant challenge.
• Incorporating novel properties into polymer fibers requires innovative fabrication techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a facile and universal approach for fabricating polymer fibers with tunable multiscale properties.
• To demonstrate the integration of cellulose cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) into polymer fibers for structural coloration.
• To achieve simultaneous control over fiber diameter, morphology, and internal liquid crystalline ordering.

Main Methods:

• Directly drawing a pre-gel feedstock containing cellulose cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs).
• Utilizing an in situ photo-polymerization process for continuous filament drawing and fiber formation.
• Manipulating controlling parameters to tune multiscale properties like diameter, morphology, and liquid crystalline ordering.

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated continuous CLC fibers with inherent structural coloration.
• Demonstrated precise control over fiber diameter, morphology, and internal molecular ordering.
• Engineered fibers exhibiting structural coloration, self-healing, electrical conduction, and thermal-sensing capabilities by integrating with functional hydrogels.

Conclusions:

• The developed platform offers a versatile method for creating advanced polymer fibers with tunable multiscale properties.
• This approach facilitates the incorporation of multiple functionalities, including structural coloration and smart material responses.
• The platform holds significant potential for diverse real-life applications across various fields and can be extended to other hydrogel systems.