Dartmouth researchers develop molecular switch that changes liquid crystal colors

Dartmouth researchers have developed a molecular switch that changes a liquid crystal's readout color based on a chemical input. This new development may open the way for using liquid crystals in detecting harmful gases, pathogens, explosives and other chemical substances.

The findings appear in the journal Angewandte Chemie. A PDF of the study is available on request.

One of the challenges in the field of molecular switches and machines is the translation of molecular level motion into macroscopic level events by harnessing light or chemical energy — think of a molecular-sized light switch that can be turned on and off. With an actual light switch, this can be easily done by hard wiring the switch to a light source, but doing this at the nanoscale is challenging.

In their study, the Dartmouth researchers used liquid crystals such as the ones in LCD (liquid crystal display) monitors and TV screens to address this challenge. They synthesized a pH activated molecular switch that can control the long range assembly of a commercially available liquid crystal called NP5. This manipulation changed the readout color of NP5 from purple to green depending on the applied pH, confirming the molecular level motion is responsible for the change in the photophysical properties of the liquid crystal.

The findings open the way for researchers to design molecular switches that produce different liquid crystal readout colors when harmful chemical substances are detected. If these liquid crystals are used as pixels – similar to the ones in LCD screens – researchers may be able to bunch them together and develop groups of sensors that can quickly analyze and detect hazardous materials.

Ivan Aprahamian, a co-author and professor of chemistry, is available to comment at ivan.aprahamian@dartmouth.edu. More information about his research is available at Dartmouth Now.

Broadcast studios: Dartmouth has TV and radio studios available for interviews. For more information, visit: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~opa/radio-tv-studios/

Media Contact

John Cramer EurekAlert!

More Information:

http://www.dartmouth.edu

All latest news from the category: Life Sciences and Chemistry

Articles and reports from the Life Sciences and chemistry area deal with applied and basic research into modern biology, chemistry and human medicine.

Valuable information can be found on a range of life sciences fields including bacteriology, biochemistry, bionics, bioinformatics, biophysics, biotechnology, genetics, geobotany, human biology, marine biology, microbiology, molecular biology, cellular biology, zoology, bioinorganic chemistry, microchemistry and environmental chemistry.

Back to home

Comments (0)

Write a comment

Newest articles

Lighting up the future

New multidisciplinary research from the University of St Andrews could lead to more efficient televisions, computer screens and lighting. Researchers at the Organic Semiconductor Centre in the School of Physics and…

Researchers crack sugarcane’s complex genetic code

Sweet success: Scientists created a highly accurate reference genome for one of the most important modern crops and found a rare example of how genes confer disease resistance in plants….

Evolution of the most powerful ocean current on Earth

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current plays an important part in global overturning circulation, the exchange of heat and CO2 between the ocean and atmosphere, and the stability of Antarctica’s ice sheets….

Partners & Sponsors