@article{2a4f1c91b22c47c09e1d5cb66fabbb7a,
title = "Strain-induced recognition of molecular and chirality in cholesteric liquid crystal droplets for distance and curvature sensing",
abstract = "Chirality is universal in nature and in biological systems, and the chirality of cholesteric liquid crystals (Ch-LC) is both controllable and quantifiable. Herein, a strategy for precise chirality recognition in a nematic LC host within soft microscale confined droplets is reported. This approach facilitates applications in distance and curvature sensing as well as on-site characterization of the overall uniformity and bending movements of a flexible device. Due to interfacial parallel anchoring, monodisperse Ch-LC spherical microdroplets show radial spherical structure (RSS) rings with a central radical point-defect hedgehog core. Strain-induced droplet deformation destabilizes the RSS configuration and induces the recognition of chirality, creating “core-shell” structures with distinguishable sizes and colors. In practice, an optical sensor is achieved due to the rich palette of optically active structures that can be utilized for gap distance measuring and the monitoring of curvature bending. The properties reported here and the constructed device have great potential for applications in soft robotics, wearable sensors, and advanced optoelectronic devices.",
author = "Shuting Xie and Ruizhi Yang and Qifan Zhu and Shitao Shen and Lanhui Li and Minmin Zhang and Xiaowen Hu and Mingliang Jin and Liqiu Wang and Lingling Shui",
note = "Funding Information: We appreciate the financial support from the Key Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 12131010), the fellowship of China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No. 2022M711224), the Special Project for Marine Economy Development of Guangdong Province (GDNRC[2023]26), the Joint Research Lab of Device Integrated Responsive Materials, and the Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou (No. 2019050001, No. 202201010248). This work has also been partially supported by PCSIRT Project No. IRT_17R40, the National 111 Project, and the MOE International Laboratory for Optical Information Technologies. Minmin Zhang appreciates the support from The Guangdong Province Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (No. 2021A1515110236) and the International-Hong Kong–Macao–Taiwan Top Talents Exchange Program of Guangdong Province (No. 2022A0505020004), the Young Scholar Foundation of South China Normal University (21KJ08). Funding Information: We appreciate the financial support from the Key Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 12131010), the fellowship of China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No. 2022M711224), the Special Project for Marine Economy Development of Guangdong Province (GDNRC[2023]26), the Joint Research Lab of Device Integrated Responsive Materials, and the Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou (No. 2019050001, No. 202201010248). This work has also been partially supported by PCSIRT Project No. IRT_17R40, the National 111 Project, and the MOE International Laboratory for Optical Information Technologies. Minmin Zhang appreciates the support from The Guangdong Province Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (No. 2021A1515110236) and the International-Hong Kong-Macao-Taiwan Top Talents Exchange Program of Guangdong Province (No. 2022A0505020004), the Young Scholar Foundation of South China Normal University (21KJ08). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 The Royal Society of Chemistry",
year = "2023",
month = may,
day = "6",
doi = "10.1039/d3lc00223c",
language = "English",
volume = "23",
pages = "2798--2807",
journal = "Lab on a Chip",
issn = "1473-0197",
publisher = "Royal Society of Chemistry",
number = "12",
}