And, learn about the extraordinary capabilities of liquid crystals that mimic the behaviours of biological systems – providing a new class of materials for scientific discovery and technological innovation.
Beyond What the Eye Can See: Liquid Crystals
From the screens of our smartphones to the dashboards of our cars, liquid crystals are everywhere in our modern world. But they are so much more than displays. It turns out molecules are capable of much the same thing, and researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have found that these interesting materials can even assemble themselves into complex architectures mirroring those seen in nature.
Liquid crystals will eventually arrange into filaments and flattened disks, which are engulfed in the liquid crystal prior to moving materials from one area to another — a process somewhat reminiscent of conveyor belts present in living systems. This observation has intrigued scientists across disciplines for suggesting that these materials are more versatile than previously realized and could have novel applications.
Deciphering the Liquid Crystal Puzzles
While studying properties of mesophase pitch, a substance currently used in the creation of high-strength carbon fibers, researchers at University of Pennsylvania led by Chinedum Osuji made an astonishing discovery. In the beginning of their experiments with different temperature condensates, they noticed something bizarre was happening in a liquid crystal called 4′-cyano 4-dodecyloxybiphenyl (12OCB).
These strange formations were unlike the usual spherical droplets that break away from squalane oil. Bulged disks/ flat droplets were present in the formation of these structures and fast-growing filaments then became blocks of bulged disks/career swaths as well. By examining the liquid crystals moving on a micrometer level using more powerful microscopes, it was discovered that it has a system like biological systems where a very intricate network can be found.
Conclusion
Realizing that liquid crystals could autonomously organize into structures closely resembling biological systems was a revelation with which the research team set out. This discovery adds to the knowledge of active matter research and its self-assembling properties, and may pave the way for new materials or technologies that can replicate nature’s efficiency and complexity. And with the types of applications these incredible liquid crystals could be suitable for ranging from medicine to engineering, these scientists will only continue to explore this weird and wonderful world at the molecular scale.
