Controlling phase and rheological behaviours of hexagonal lyotropic liquid crystalline templates for nanostructural administration and retention

0545939 - ÚMCH 2023 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Wang, Guang - Garvey, C. J. - Gu, S. - Gao, W. - O´Dell, L. A. - Krause-Heuer, A. M. - Darwish, T. A. - Zhigunov, Alexander - Tong, X. - Kong, L.
Controlling phase and rheological behaviours of hexagonal lyotropic liquid crystalline templates for nanostructural administration and retention.
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science. Roč. 607, č. 1 (2022), s. 816-825. ISSN 0021-9797. E-ISSN 1095-7103
Institutional support: RVO:61389013
Keywords : hexagonal lyotropic liquid crystalline * rheological behaviors * phase behaviors
OECD category: Polymer science
Impact factor: 9.9, year: 2022
Method of publishing: Limited access
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0021979721014703?via%3Dihub

Introducing polymerizable monomers into a binary hexagonal lyotropic liquid crystalline (LLC) template is a straightforward way for retaining the nanostructure but will decrease attractive intra- and inter- aggregate interactions. It is therefore crucial to understand the interfacial interactions at nanoscale after introducing the monomers but prior to polymerization. Herein, active species, poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), were introduced into hexagonal LLC of dodecyl trimethylammonium bromide and water to explore the structural variables, dimensional stability, and dynamic property. At a proper volume ratio of PEGDA/HEMA (1/4), the system presents excellent homogeneity with a higher dimensional stability and lower dynamic property from rheological assessments, thereby achieving robust, free-standing, and transparent membranes after photo-polymerization. The unique property of the system also lies in the much lower order–disorder transition temperature (45 °C) that facilitates the reorientation of mesochannels. They are in contrast inaccessible for the ternary system only with PEGDA, though the nanostructure for both systems could be retained. An insight into subtle variations in these parameters allows us to prepare a polymerizable template possessing higher dimensional stability and suitable flexibility via molecular design, thereby enabling simultaneous structural alignment and retention for the development of functional nanomaterials.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0322546