Recyclable liquid crystal polymeric sensor beads based on the assistance of radially aligned liquid crystals | Polymer Journal

Polymer Journal volume 53, pages 373–383 (2021)Cite this article

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In this study, we first demonstrate the synthesis of recyclable polymer beads for Cu2+ sensing based on radially aligned liquid crystal (LC) assistance. To detect metal ions in water, sensing probe monomers and polymers derived from rhodamine B were synthesized. Recyclable polymeric LC beads were prepared from LC monomers RM257 and RM105, a nonreactive mesogen of 5CB and a rhodamine B-derived monomer. Due to the assistance of radially aligned LCs, highly sterically hindered spirocyclic terminal groups of rhodamine B-derived monomers were aligned and fixed at the outer surface of liquid crystal beads. The color of the polymeric LC beads changed from light pink to deep pink after the beads were dropped into an aqueous Cu2+ solution. The results were ascribed to the spiro ring-opening mechanism. The addition of a nonreactive mesogen resulted in the porous structure of the polymeric LC beads. The high sensitivity of the Cu2+ solution using polymeric LC beads was confirmed. The fabricated polymeric LC beads were recycled by putting the polymeric LC beads into aqueous ammonia. The removal of Cu2+ from polymeric LC beads was due to the formation of [Cu(NH3)4]2+. This recyclable LC bead sensor is an easy method for the detection of metal ions in aqueous solutions.

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The authors would like to thank the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) for financially supporting this research under contract MOST 107-2923-E-006-001 and MOST 108-2218-E-006-049. This research was also supported in part by the Higher Education Sprout Project, Ministry of Education to the Headquarters of University Advancement at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU).

Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1, University Road, East Dist., Tainan City, 70101, Taiwan

Jui-Hsiang Liu, Yi-Hua Hung & Ssu-Ni Lin

Department of Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, GSP-1, Moscow, Russia, 119991

Sergey A. Shvetsov, Vladimir Yu. Rudyak & Alexander V. Emelyanenko

Lebedev Physical Institute, Leninsky pr. 53, Moscow, Russia, 119991

Sergey A. Shvetsov

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1, University Road, East Dist., Tainan City, 70101, Taiwan

Chun-Yen Liu

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Correspondence to Chun-Yen Liu.

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Liu, JH., Hung, YH., Lin, SN. et al. Recyclable liquid crystal polymeric sensor beads based on the assistance of radially aligned liquid crystals. Polym J 53, 373–383 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41428-020-00428-0

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Received: 21 July 2020

Accepted: 07 September 2020

Published: 15 October 2020

Issue Date: February 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41428-020-00428-0

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