Stimuli‐Driven Control of the Helical Axis of Self‐Organized Soft Helical Superstructures
Abstract
Supramolecular and macromolecular functional helical superstructures are ubiquitous in nature and display an impressive catalog of intriguing and elegant properties and performances. In materials science, self‐organized soft helical superstructures, i.e., cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs), serve as model systems toward the understanding of morphology‐ and orientation‐dependent properties of supramolecular dynamic helical architectures and their potential for technological applications. Moreover, most of the fascinating device applications of CLCs are primarily determined by different orientations of the helical axis. Here, the control of the helical axis orientation of CLCs and its dynamic switching in two and three dimensions using different external stimuli are summarized. Electric‐field‐, magnetic‐field‐, and light‐irradiation‐driven orientation control and reorientation of the helical axis of CLCs are described and highlighted. Different techniques and strategies developed to achieve a uniform lying helix structure are explored. Helical axis control in recently developed heliconical cholesteric systems is examined. The control of the helical axis orientation in spherical geometries such as microdroplets and microshells fabricated from these enticing photonic fluids is also explored. Future challenges and opportunities in this exciting area involving anisotropic chiral liquids are then discussed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Mar 30, 2018
- Source ID
- 10.1002/adma.201706512
Entities
People
- Hari Krishna Bisoyi
- Quan Li
- Timothy J. Bunning
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Air Force Research Laboratory
- Kent State University
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- National Science Foundation
- United States Department of Defense