Dielectric Thermal Smart Glass Based on Tunable Helical Polymer-Based Superstructure for Biosensor with Antibacterial Property

Abstract

A dielectric thermal smart glass (DTSG) based on the dielectric heating optical (DHO) effect in tunable helical polymer-based superstructures—cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs)—was exhibited in this study. Field-induced dielectric heating can strongly affect the orientation of liquid crystals and change its optical properties. The purpose of this research focuses on dual-frequency CLC materials characterized by their specific properties on dielectric relaxation and demonstrates their potential for antibacterial biosensor applications. The developed DTSG is driven by voltages with modulated frequencies. The principal of DTSG in transparent states are a planar (P) state and a heated planar (HP) state reflecting infrared light, operated with the voltage at low and high frequencies, respectively. The scattering states are a focal conic (FC) state and a heated FC (HFC) state, with an applied frequency near the crossover frequency. The biomolecule detection of the antibacterial property was also demonstrated. The detection limitation of the DTSG biosensor was found to be about 0.5 µg/mL. The DTSG material has many potential industrial applications, such as in buildings, photonic devices, and biosensor applications.

Keywords

• cholesteric liquid crystals
• label-free biosensor
• dielectric heating