Collective transport and reconfigurable assembly of nematic colloids by light-driven cooperative molecular reorientations.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
; 120(16): e2221718120, 2023 Apr 18.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37040402
ABSTRACT
Nanomotors in nature have inspired scientists to design synthetic molecular motors to drive the motion of microscale objects by cooperative action. Light-driven molecular motors have been synthesized, but using their cooperative reorganization to control the collective transport of colloids and to realize the reconfiguration of colloidal assembly remains a challenge. In this work, topological vortices are imprinted in the monolayers of azobenzene molecules which further interface with nematic liquid crystals (LCs). The light-driven cooperative reorientations of the azobenzene molecules induce the collective motion of LC molecules and thus the spatiotemporal evolutions of the nematic disclination networks which are defined by the controlled patterns of vortices. Continuum simulations provide physical insight into the morphology change of the disclination networks. When microcolloids are dispersed in the LC medium, the colloidal assembly is not only transported and reconfigured by the collective change of the disclination lines but also controlled by the elastic energy landscape defined by the predesigned orientational patterns. The collective transport and reconfiguration of colloidal assemblies can also be programmed by manipulating the irradiated polarization. This work opens opportunities to design programmable colloidal machines and smart composite materials.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article