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

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

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Abstract

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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Acknowledgements

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).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 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

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

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

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

    Sergey A. Shvetsov

  4. 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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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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