Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Properties of Enantiomers and Optical Activity02:24

Properties of Enantiomers and Optical Activity

17.8K
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,...
17.8K
Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity01:26

Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity

2.6K
Polymerization generates chiral centers along the entire backbone of a polymer chain. Accordingly, the stereochemistry of the substituent group has a significant effect on polymer properties. Polymers formed from monosubstituted alkene monomers feature chiral carbons at every alternate position in the polymer backbone. Relative to the predominant orientation of substituents at the adjacent chiral carbons, the polymer can exist in three different configurations: isotactic, syndiotactic, and...
2.6K
Chirality in Nature02:30

Chirality in Nature

13.9K
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.
13.9K
Racemic Mixtures and the Resolution of Enantiomers02:30

Racemic Mixtures and the Resolution of Enantiomers

18.8K
A racemic mixture, or racemate, is an equimolar mixture of enantiomers of a molecule that can be separated using their unique interaction with chiral molecules or media. Racemic mixtures are denoted by the (±)- prefix. This ‘optical rotation descriptor’ applies to the whole solution of a racemic mixture rather than a specific stereoisomer. Enantiomers typically have the same physical and chemical properties. Hence, they are not easily separable. However, enantiomers can exhibit...
18.8K
Chirality02:25

Chirality

25.4K
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...
25.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Recent Advances in Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Elastomers: Fabrication, Functionalization, and Applications.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026
Same author

Programmable multimodal actuation in cholesteric liquid crystal elastomer hollow fibers beyond mechanochromism.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Gut dysbiosis after successive administration of florfenicol-medicated feed alters intestinal inflammatory response and growth patterns in healthy Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

Animal microbiome·2025
Same author

Universal Water Transfer Printing Enables Scalable Structural Coloration of Responsive Textile Fibers for Wearable Electronics.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2025
Same author

Modulation of innate and adaptive immunity in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fed diets containing commercial-like additives under farming conditions in seawater phase.

Fish & shellfish immunology·2025
Same author

4D-Printed Adaptive and Programmable Shape-Morphing Batteries.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2025
Same journal

Optical-controlled magnon transport based on spin crossover switched molecular magnets.

Smart molecules : open access·2026
Same journal

Stepwise mitochondria-targeted photodynamic immunotherapy enabled by an outer membrane vesicles-based nanoplatform for synergistic tumor ablation and immune reprogramming.

Smart molecules : open access·2026
Same journal

A novel sulfur-containing photoinitiator based on benzophenone derivatives for rapid photopolymerization.

Smart molecules : open access·2026
Same journal

A novel water-soluble near-infrared fluorescent probe for monitoring viscosity fluctuations in plants and zebrafish under abiotic stresses.

Smart molecules : open access·2026
Same journal

A flexible arched artificial photoreceptor constructed by photodeformable liquid crystal polymers and its application in vision restoration.

Smart molecules : open access·2026
Same journal

Intermolecular hydrogen-bonded associates of BODIPYs drive controllable aggregates and enhanced NIR phototherapeutic performance.

Smart molecules : open access·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 16, 2025

Preparation of Monodomain Liquid Crystal Elastomers and Liquid Crystal Elastomer Nanocomposites
12:21

Preparation of Monodomain Liquid Crystal Elastomers and Liquid Crystal Elastomer Nanocomposites

Published on: February 6, 2016

12.8K

Smart chiral liquid crystal elastomers: Design, properties and application.

Yuan Liu1, Jiazhe Ma1, Yanzhao Yang1

  • 1School of Materials Science and Engineering Tianjin University Tianjin China.

Smart Molecules : Open Access
|July 8, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Smart chiral liquid crystal elastomers offer tunable structural colors and dynamic responses. This review details their design, fabrication, and applications in adaptive optics and soft robotics.

Keywords:
blue‐phase liquid crystalschiral elastomerscholesteric liquid crystalsphotonic crystalsstructural color

More Related Videos

Synthesis of Biocompatible Liquid Crystal Elastomer Foams as Cell Scaffolds for 3D Spatial Cell Cultures
13:38

Synthesis of Biocompatible Liquid Crystal Elastomer Foams as Cell Scaffolds for 3D Spatial Cell Cultures

Published on: April 11, 2017

9.6K
Synthesis of Programmable Main-chain Liquid-crystalline Elastomers Using a Two-stage Thiol-acrylate Reaction
11:17

Synthesis of Programmable Main-chain Liquid-crystalline Elastomers Using a Two-stage Thiol-acrylate Reaction

Published on: January 19, 2016

22.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 16, 2025

Preparation of Monodomain Liquid Crystal Elastomers and Liquid Crystal Elastomer Nanocomposites
12:21

Preparation of Monodomain Liquid Crystal Elastomers and Liquid Crystal Elastomer Nanocomposites

Published on: February 6, 2016

12.8K
Synthesis of Biocompatible Liquid Crystal Elastomer Foams as Cell Scaffolds for 3D Spatial Cell Cultures
13:38

Synthesis of Biocompatible Liquid Crystal Elastomer Foams as Cell Scaffolds for 3D Spatial Cell Cultures

Published on: April 11, 2017

9.6K
Synthesis of Programmable Main-chain Liquid-crystalline Elastomers Using a Two-stage Thiol-acrylate Reaction
11:17

Synthesis of Programmable Main-chain Liquid-crystalline Elastomers Using a Two-stage Thiol-acrylate Reaction

Published on: January 19, 2016

22.1K

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Soft Matter Physics
  • Photonics

Background:

  • Smart chiral liquid crystal elastomers are soft photonic crystals with tunable nanostructures.
  • They exhibit structural colors, with cholesteric and blue-phase types offering 1D and 3D nanostructures, respectively.
  • Their self-assembled nanostructures are dynamically controllable by external stimuli, enabling color tuning across the visible spectrum.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review the progress in the design and fabrication of smart chiral liquid crystal elastomers.
  • To focus on fabrication methods for cholesteric liquid crystal elastomers and blue-phase liquid crystal elastomers.
  • To highlight the properties and potential applications of these smart materials.

Main Methods:

  • Review of fabrication strategies including surface-enforced alignment, bar coating, 3D printing, and anisotropic deswelling for cholesteric liquid crystal elastomers.
  • Discussion of 3D self-assembly methods for blue-phase liquid crystal elastomers without additional alignment.
  • Analysis of the dynamic control of nanostructures and color-tuning capabilities.

Main Results:

  • Diverse strategies for designing and synthesizing smart chiral liquid crystal elastomers have been developed.
  • Methods like surface-enforced alignment, 3D printing, and self-assembly enable precise control over nanostructures.
  • These elastomers exhibit rapid responses to external stimuli and tunable structural colors.

Conclusions:

  • Smart chiral liquid crystal elastomers possess significant potential for applications in adaptive optics, camouflage, soft robotics, and information encryption.
  • Continued innovation in material systems and manufacturing is crucial for advancing this field.
  • Future research should address opportunities and challenges for enhanced performance and broader applicability.