Cellulose nanocrystals in nanoarchitectonics – towards photonic functional materials

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Giese ◽  
Matthias Spengler
Keyword(s):  
Cellulose Nanocrystals ◽  
Self Assembly ◽  
Functional Materials ◽  
Chiral Nematic ◽  
Application Potential

This review summarizes the recent achievements in the development of photonic functional materials based on cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and CNC templating. The unique self-assembly of CNCs into chiral nematic structures introduces photonic properties for the development of functional materials with application potential in photonic sensing, tunable reflectors or optoelectronics.

scholarly journals Self-ordered cellulose nanocrystals and microscopic investigations

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
C.F. Castro-Guerrero ◽  
A.B. Morales-Cepeda ◽  
M.R. Díaz-Guillén ◽  
F. Delgado-Arroyo ◽  
F.A. López-González
Keyword(s):  
Cellulose Nanocrystals ◽  
Self Assembly ◽  
Nematic Phase ◽  
Average Length ◽  
Periodic Change ◽  
Local Orientation ◽  
Preferred Direction ◽  
Self Assembling ◽  
Chiral Nematic ◽  
Assembly Structure

Abstract Cellulose nanocrystals were extracted from cotton. The cellulose nanocrystals made a self-assembly structure when dried under slow conditions, as it was revealed by the characterization made to the material. The AFM images of the nanocrystals showed that they had a changing local orientation, pointing in a preferred direction that underwent a periodic change. This periodic change resembles the orientation of a chiral nematic phase. The TEM images showed that the nanocrystals had a rod-like appearance with average length size of 98.5 nm and a diameter of 4.7 nm. The TEM characterization showed the nanocrystals with more details than AFM. In this paper, the self-assembling of CNC was observed by AFM, and further investigations were done by TEM, deconvoluting the process of CNC nanorods aggregation.

scholarly journals Lateral Gradient Ambidextrous Optical Reflection in Self-Organized Left-Handed Chiral Nematic Cellulose Nanocrystals Films

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiawei Tao ◽  
Jiaqi Li ◽  
Xiao Yu ◽  
Lihong Wei ◽  
Yan Xu
Keyword(s):  
Cellulose Nanocrystals ◽  
Self Assembly ◽  
Circularly Polarized ◽  
Optical Reflection ◽  
Self Organized ◽  
Left Handed ◽  
Assembly Method ◽  
Chiral Nematic ◽  
Half Wavelength ◽  
Film Substrate

Artificial photonic materials displaying ordered reflected color patterns are desirable in the field of photonic technologies, however, it is challenging to realize. Here we present that self-assembly of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) in a tilted cuvette leads to the formation of rainbow color CNC films. We show that the self-organized CNC films enable simultaneous reflection of left-handed circularly polarized (LCP) and right-handed circularly polarized (RCP) light with lateral gradient transmittance ratio (LCP/RCP: 8.7–0.9) and the maximum reflectance value up to ca. 72%. This unique ambidextrous optical reflection arises from left-handed chiral photonic architectures with lateral gradient photonic bandgaps and nematic-like defects at the film-substrate interface and between left-handed photonic bandgap layers acting as a half-wavelength retarder. We demonstrate that the tilted angle self-assembly method provides a feasible step toward color patterning of CNC-based photonic films capable of ambidextrous optical reflection.

scholarly journals Chiral Nematic Cellulose Nanocrystal Films Cooperated with Amino Acids for Tunable Optical Properties

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 4389
Author(s):  
Xiao Xiao ◽  
Jie Chen ◽  
Zhe Ling ◽  
Jiaqi Guo ◽  
Jianbin Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Self Assembly ◽  
Uv Light ◽  
Composite Films ◽  
Functional Materials ◽  
Cellulose Nanocrystal ◽  
Optical Functions ◽  
Chiral Nematic ◽  
Evaporation Induced Self Assembly ◽  
Nanocrystal Films

The exploration of functional materials relies greatly on the understanding of material structures and nanotechnologies. In the present work, chiral nematic cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) films were prepared by incorporation with four types of amino acids (AAs, glycine, histidine, phenylalanine, and serine) via evaporation-induced self-assembly. The films present ideal iridescence and birefringence that can be tuned by the amount of AAs added. The intercalation of AAs enlarged the pitch values, contributing to the red-shift trend of the reflective wavelength. Among the AAs, serine presented the most compatible intercalation into cellulose crystals. Interestingly, histidine and phenylalanine composite films showed high shielding capabilities of UV light in diverse wavelength regions, exhibiting multi-optical functions. The sustainable preparation of chiral nematic CNC films may provide new strategies for materials production from biocompatible lignocellulose.

Unique Functional Materials Derived from β-Amino Acid Oligomers

2017 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark P. Del Borgo ◽  
Ketav Kulkarni ◽  
Marie-Isabel Aguilar
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Drug Design ◽  
Self Assembly ◽  
Functional Materials ◽  
Bioactive Molecules ◽  
Peptide Drug ◽  
New Materials ◽  
Amino Acid Oligomers

The unique structures formed by β-amino acid oligomers, or β-peptide foldamers, have been studied for almost two decades, which has led to the discovery of several distinctive structures and bioactive molecules. Recently, this area of research has expanded from conventional peptide drug design to the formation of assemblies and nanomaterials by peptide self-assembly. The unique structures formed by β-peptides give rise to a set of new materials with altered properties that differ from conventional peptide-based materials; such new materials may be useful in several bio- and nanomaterial applications.

scholarly journals Diketopiperazine Gels: New Horizons from the Self-Assembly of Cyclic Dipeptides

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 3376
Author(s):  
Marco Scarel ◽  
Silvia Marchesan
Keyword(s):  
Drug Discovery ◽  
Enzymatic Hydrolysis ◽  
Self Assembly ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Functional Materials ◽  
The Self ◽  
Cyclic Dipeptides ◽  
New Horizons ◽  
Concise Review

Cyclodipeptides (CDPs) or 2,5-diketopiperazines (DKPs) can exert a variety of biological activities and display pronounced resistance against enzymatic hydrolysis as well as a propensity towards self-assembly into gels, relative to the linear-dipeptide counterparts. They have attracted great interest in a variety of fields spanning from functional materials to drug discovery. This concise review will analyze the latest advancements in their synthesis, self-assembly into gels, and their more innovative applications.

scholarly journals Nanostructure, Self-Assembly, Mechanical Properties, and Antioxidant Activity of a Lupin-Derived Peptide Hydrogel

Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 294
Author(s):  
Raffaele Pugliese ◽  
Anna Arnoldi ◽  
Carmen Lammi
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Antioxidant Activity ◽  
Self Assembly ◽  
Antioxidant Activities ◽  
Functional Materials ◽  
Cd Spectroscopy ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
New Research ◽  
Peptide Hydrogel

Naturally occurring food peptides are frequently used in the life sciences due to their beneficial effects through their impact on specific biochemical pathways. Furthermore, they are often leveraged for applications in areas as diverse as bioengineering, medicine, agriculture, and even fashion. However, progress toward understanding their self-assembling properties as functional materials are often hindered by their long aromatic and charged residue-enriched sequences encrypted in the parent protein sequence. In this study, we elucidate the nanostructure and the hierarchical self-assembly propensity of a lupin-derived peptide which belongs to the α-conglutin (11S globulin, legumin-like protein), with a straightforward N-terminal biotinylated oligoglycine tag-based methodology for controlling the nanostructures, biomechanics, and biological features. Extensive characterization was performed via Circular Dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), rheological measurements, and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) analyses. By using the biotin tag, we obtained a thixotropic lupin-derived peptide hydrogel (named BT13) with tunable mechanical properties (from 2 to 11 kPa), without impairing its spontaneous formation of β-sheet secondary structures. Lastly, we demonstrated that this hydrogel has antioxidant activity. Altogether, our findings address multiple challenges associated with the development of naturally occurring food peptide-based hydrogels, offering a new tool to both fine tune the mechanical properties and tailor the antioxidant activities, providing new research directions across food chemistry, biochemistry, and bioengineering.

scholarly journals Concentric chiral nematic polymeric fibers from cellulose nanocrystals

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arash Momeni ◽  
Christopher M. Walters ◽  
Yi-Tao Xu ◽  
Wadood Y. Hamad ◽  
Mark J. MacLachlan
Keyword(s):  
Cellulose Nanocrystals ◽  
Liquid Crystalline ◽  
Capillary Tube ◽  
Single Domain ◽  
Cellulose Nanocrystal ◽  
Polymeric Fibers ◽  
Chiral Nematic ◽  
Chiral Nematic Structure ◽  
Crystalline Suspension

A cellulose nanocrystal liquid crystalline suspension was mixed with monomers and confined to a capillary tube. After photopolymerization, a fiber with a single-domain concentric chiral nematic structure throughout the length of the fiber was obtained.

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