title: Microfluidic formation of pH responsive 5CB droplets decorated with PAA-b-LCP.
abstract: We are reporting for the first time the pH responsiveness of liquid crystal (LC) microdroplets decorated with an amphiphilic block copolymer of PAA-b-LCP. We successfully demonstrated the adsorption of block copolymer on LC droplets by fluorescence microscopy and pH response to the radial-to-bipolar orientational change of the LC droplets by changing pH from 12 to 2 through the polarized optical microscope (POM). We believe that our results may pave the way for the generation of monodisperse droplets decorated by various amphiphilic block copolymers which respond to several kinds of the external stimuli. These developments may be important for potential applications of the LC droplets in sensing and encapsulation fields.
authors.affiliation: Department of Polymer Science, Kyungpook National University, Buk-gu, Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Waliullah
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Jin Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Gyu Man
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Soo-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins / Q000737:chemistry*; D000327:Adsorption; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D050866:Liquid Crystals / Q000737:chemistry*; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000379:methods*; D009570:Nitriles / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D014159:Transducers
chemical_list: C526608:4-cyano-4'-ethynylbiphenyl; D000180:Acrylic Resins; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D009570:Nitriles; C006903:carbopol 940