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Related Concept Videos

Chirality in Nature02:30

Chirality in Nature

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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.
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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,...
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Phase-Contrast Microscopes
In-phase-contrast microscopes, interference between light directly passing through a cell and light refracted by cellular components is used to create high-contrast, high-resolution images without staining. It is the oldest and simplest type of microscope that creates an image by altering the wavelengths of light rays passing through the specimen. Altered wavelength paths are created using an annular stop in the condenser. The annular stop produces a hollow cone of...
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Chirality02:25

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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.
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Updated: May 1, 2026

An Electrochemical Cholesteric Liquid Crystalline Device for Quick and Low-Voltage Color Modulation
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Innovative Applications Enabled by the Versatile Structural Color of Cholesteric Liquid Crystals.

Jan P F Lagerwall1

  • 1Department of Physics & Materials Science, University of Luxembourg, 1511 Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.

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|April 30, 2026
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) are being reformulated into advanced materials for applications beyond thermometry. New processing methods enable CLCs to form unique structures for secure authentication, efficient solar panel camouflage, and structural health monitoring.

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Photonics
  • Liquid Crystal Technology

Background:

  • Cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) are known for Bragg reflection and structural color.
  • Traditional applications of CLCs are limited, primarily in thermometry.
  • Recent advancements enable new CLC formulations and processing techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review novel applications of CLCs leveraging recent formulation and processing advancements.
  • To highlight CLC-based materials for societal and industrial relevance.
  • To discuss the transition from proof-of-concept to commercial application.

Main Methods:

  • Formulation of CLC mixtures with reactive mesogens for post-polymerization stability.
  • Advanced liquid processing techniques: microfluidic emulsions, 3D printing, fiber spinning.
  • Development of Cholesteric Spherical Reflectors (CSRs) and CLC elastomer (CLCE) materials.

Main Results:

  • CSRs enable Physical Unclonable Functions for secure authentication and machine-readable patterns.
  • CSRs offer novel coloring solutions, including nonspectral colors like gray.
  • Polymerized CLC films provide visually unobtrusive solar panel camouflage with minimal efficiency loss.
  • CLCE films and fibers demonstrate colorimetric strain monitoring for structural health and wearable applications.

Conclusions:

  • Recent advances in CLC formulation and processing unlock diverse, high-impact applications.
  • CLC-based materials offer unique solutions in security, energy, and structural monitoring.
  • Further research is needed to address scale-up challenges for commercial production.