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Thermotropic and Lyotropic Phase Behavior of Poly(γ-stearyl-l-glutamate)-Functionalized Nanoparticles
Jessie Wong1, Violeta Toader1, Christopher J Barrett1
1Centre québécois sur les matériaux fonctionnels/Quebec Centre for Advanced Materials (CQMF/QCAM), Chemistry Department, 801 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, Québec H3A 0B8, Canada.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|September 8, 2025
Summary
This study demonstrates that polymer ligands can create thermotropic liquid crystalline nanoparticles (LC-NPs). These novel LC-NPs exhibit both lyotropic and thermotropic phases, expanding material science possibilities.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Poly(γ-stearyl-l-glutamate) (PSLG) is a semiflexible polypeptide known for its liquid crystal (LC) properties.
- Previous work utilized poly(hexyl isocyanate) to create lyotropic nematic phases on nanoparticles (NPs).
- Low-molecular-weight mesogenic ligands are common, but polymer ligands for thermotropic LC-NPs are underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize liquid crystalline nanoparticles (LC-NPs) using PSLG ligands covalently attached to ZrO2 NPs.
- To investigate the lyotropic and thermotropic phase behavior of these PSLG-functionalized NPs (PSLG@ZrO2 NP).
- To explore the potential of polymer ligands in creating novel thermotropic LC-NPs.
Main Methods:
- N-carboxyanhydride ring-opening polymerization to prepare PSLG ligands.
- Functionalization of 4 nm ZrO2 NPs with PSLG.
- Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and optical microscopy to study structural changes.
- Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to analyze phase behavior.
Main Results:
- PSLG-functionalized ZrO2 NPs (PSLG@ZrO2 NP) were successfully created, exhibiting LC properties.
- Surface anchoring of PSLG did not significantly alter its inherent lyotropic or thermotropic LC behavior.
- Both free and tethered PSLG showed a coexistence of cholesteric and columnar hexagonal lyotropic phases over a broad concentration range.
- These are the first reported thermotropic LC-NPs produced using polymer ligands.
Conclusions:
- Polymer ligands, specifically PSLG, can be effectively used to create functionalized nanoparticles with liquid crystalline properties.
- The synthesized PSLG@ZrO2 NPs demonstrate both lyotropic and thermotropic phase behavior, independent of an LC matrix.
- This research opens new avenues for designing advanced materials with tunable liquid crystalline characteristics using polymeric ligands.
