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Nature‐Inspired Emerging Chiral Liquid Crystal Nanostructures: From Molecular Self‐Assembly to DNA Mesophase and Nanocolloids
Author(s) -
Wang Ling,
Urbas Augustine M.,
Li Quan
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.201801335
Subject(s) - liquid crystal , nanotechnology , materials science , mesophase , lyotropic , thermotropic crystal , chirality (physics) , liquid crystalline , lyotropic liquid crystal , soft matter , self assembly , nanostructure , biomimetics , supramolecular chemistry , nanocellulose , supramolecular chirality , cellulose , organic chemistry , colloid , molecule , chemistry , chiral symmetry breaking , optoelectronics , physics , quantum mechanics , nambu–jona lasinio model , quark
Abstract Liquid crystals (LCs) are omnipresent in living matter, whose chirality is an elegant and distinct feature in certain plant tissues, the cuticles of crabs, beetles, arthropods, and beyond. Taking inspiration from nature, researchers have recently devoted extensive efforts toward developing chiral liquid crystalline materials with self‐organized nanostructures and exploring their potential applications in diverse fields ranging from dynamic photonics to energy and safety issues. In this review, an account on the state of the art of emerging chiral liquid crystalline nanostructured materials and their technological applications is provided. First, an overview on the significance of chiral liquid crystalline architectures in various living systems is given. Then, the recent significant progress in different chiral liquid crystalline systems including thermotropic LCs (cholesteric LCs, cubic blue phases, achiral bent‐core LCs, etc.) and lyotropic LCs (DNA LCs, nanocellulose LCs, and graphene oxide LCs) is showcased. The review concludes with a perspective on the future scope, opportunities, and challenges in these truly advanced functional soft materials and their promising applications.