Back to results
US 2010/0062525 A1Published application
Optically responsive and mechanically tunable colloid-in-liquid crystal gels
AssigneeWisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
InventorsNicholas L. Abbott, Ankit Agarwal, Santanu K. Pal
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Colloidal liquid crystal gels (CLCGs), sensors incorporating the CLCGs, culture substrates made from the CLCGs, and patterned films and molded articles made from the CLCGs are provided. The CLCGs are composite liquid crystal materials comprising networks of particles having liquid crystal domains dispersed therein.
Claims19
A colloidal liquid crystal gel comprising:
- a network of particles;
- and
- a plurality of liquid crystal domains comprising liquid crystals dispersed in the network;
- wherein the gel is in the form of a layer having a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite the first surface, and further wherein at least some of the liquid crystal domains extend through the layer from the first surface to the second surface.
1 more element
A method of sensing an analyte using a colloidal liquid crystal gel comprising:
- a network of particles;
- and
- a plurality of liquid crystal domains comprising liquid crystals dispersed in the network;
- the method comprising exposing a sample containing, or suspected of containing, the analyte to the sensor and monitoring an analyte-induced change in one or more of the liquid crystal domains.
1 more element
A cell culture substrate comprising:
- (a) colloidal liquid crystal gel comprising:
- a network of particles;
- and
- a plurality of liquid crystal domains comprising liquid crystals dispersed in the network;
- and
- (b) a film comprising a protein or a peptide disposed over the colloidal liquid crystal gel.
3 more elements
A colloidal liquid crystal gel comprising:
- (a) a network of particles;
- (b) a plurality of liquid crystal domains comprising liquid crystals dispersed in the network;
- the colloidal liquid crystal gel having a first surface in contact with an aqueous solution to provide a liquid crystal-aqueous interface and a second surface disposed opposite the first surface and in contact with a solid substrate to provide a liquid crystal-solid interface;
- and
- (c) a plurality of recognition moieties associated with the liquid crystal-aqueous interface and a plurality of recognition moieties associated with the liquid crystal-solid interface.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.