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Biosensors
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Frontiers in Liquid Crystal-Based Biosensors
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Frontiers in Liquid Crystal-Based Biosensors

A special issue of Biosensors (ISSN 2079-6374). This special issue belongs to the section "Biosensor Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 19116

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Guoqiang Li

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Visual and Biomedical Optics Lab, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43212, USA
Interests: vision optics; biomedical optical imaging; electro-optical devices; holography
Dr. Monirosadat Sadati

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
Interests: liquid crystals; self-assembly; biopolymers; rheology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to introduce a Special Issue on “Frontiers in Liquid Crystal-Based Biosensors.” Liquid crystals (LCs) with unique hybrid liquid–solid-like properties that are proven to be faithful reporters of molecular binding at interfaces. Molecular-scale interactions at the interface can perturb the LC director alignment, which can propagate through the bulk resulting in distinct optical responses detectable by simple optical methods. Sensitivity, fast and easy-reading optical responses have made LCs attractive materials for the design of label-free sensing devices. LC-based sensors provide an accessible platform for highly sensitive detection of a wide range of chemicals and biochemicals, including solvents, gases, volatile organic compounds, biological toxins, proteins, viruses, and stem cells, and other biomedical samples. Further, experimental studies complemented by advanced computational analysis have provided guidelines to design the LC-based sensors that distinguish molecular motifs and respond selectively to chemicals.

Papers presenting advancements in these exciting research fields are welcome in this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Guoqiang Li
Dr. Monirosadat Sadati
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biosensors is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • liquid crystal sensors
  • liquid crystal biosensors
  • liquid crystals
  • molecular interaction at interface
  • biomolecule detection
  • chemical detection
  • optical sensing

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 2904 KiB  
Article
Chiral Liquid Crystal Microdroplets for Sensing Phospholipid Amphiphiles
by Sepideh Norouzi, Jose A. Martinez Gonzalez and Monirosadat Sadati
Biosensors 2022, 12(5), 313; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12050313 - 09 May 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2335
Abstract
Designing simple, sensitive, fast, and inexpensive readout devices to detect biological molecules and biomarkers is crucial for early diagnosis and treatments. Here, we have studied the interaction of the chiral liquid crystal (CLC) and biomolecules at the liquid crystal (LC)-droplet interface. CLC droplets [...] Read more.
Designing simple, sensitive, fast, and inexpensive readout devices to detect biological molecules and biomarkers is crucial for early diagnosis and treatments. Here, we have studied the interaction of the chiral liquid crystal (CLC) and biomolecules at the liquid crystal (LC)-droplet interface. CLC droplets with high and low chirality were prepared using a microfluidic device. We explored the reconfiguration of the CLC molecules confined in droplets in the presence of 1,2-diauroyl-sn-glycero3-phosphatidylcholine (DLPC) phospholipid. Cross-polarized optical microscopy and spectrometry techniques were employed to monitor the effect of droplet size and DLPC concentration on the structural reorganization of the CLC molecules. Our results showed that in the presence of DLPC, the chiral LC droplets transition from planar to homeotropic ordering through a multistage molecular reorientation. However, this reconfiguration process in the low-chirality droplets happened three times faster than in high-chirality ones. Applying spectrometry and image analysis, we found that the change in the chiral droplets’ Bragg reflection can be correlated with the CLC–DLPC interactions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Liquid Crystal-Based Biosensors)
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15 pages, 5312 KiB  
Article
DNA-Modified Liquid Crystal Droplets
by Xiuxiu Yang, Xiao Liang, Rajib Nandi, Yi Tian, Yiyang Zhang, Yan Li, Jingsheng Zhou, Yuanchen Dong, Dongsheng Liu, Zhengwei Zhong and Zhongqiang Yang
Biosensors 2022, 12(5), 275; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12050275 - 27 Apr 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2391
Abstract
In this work, we have combined the advantages of sequence programmability of DNA nanotechnology and optical birefringence of liquid crystals (LCs). Herein, DNA amphiphiles were adsorbed onto LC droplets. A unique phenomenon of LC droplet aggregation was demonstrated, using DNA-modified LC droplets, through [...] Read more.
In this work, we have combined the advantages of sequence programmability of DNA nanotechnology and optical birefringence of liquid crystals (LCs). Herein, DNA amphiphiles were adsorbed onto LC droplets. A unique phenomenon of LC droplet aggregation was demonstrated, using DNA-modified LC droplets, through complementary DNA hybridization. Further functionalization of DNA-modified LC droplets with a desired DNA sequence was used to detect a wide range of chemicals and biomolecules, such as Hg2+, thrombin, and enzymes, through LC droplet aggregation and vice versa, which can be seen through the naked eye. These DNA-modified LC droplets can be printed onto a desired patterned surface with temperature-induced responsiveness and reversibility. Overall, our work is the first to report DNA-modified LC droplet, which provides a general detection platform based on the development of DNA aptamers. Additionally, this work inspires the exploration of surface information visualization combined with microcontact printing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Liquid Crystal-Based Biosensors)
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13 pages, 3823 KiB  
Article
Quantitative Biosensing Based on a Liquid Crystal Marginally Aligned by the PVA/DMOAP Composite for Optical Signal Amplification
by Tsung-Keng Chang, Mon-Juan Lee and Wei Lee
Biosensors 2022, 12(4), 218; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12040218 - 07 Apr 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1993
Abstract
The working principle for a liquid crystal (LC)-based biosensor relies on the disturbance in the orderly aligned LC molecules induced by analytes at the LC-aqueous or LC-solid interface to produce optical signals that can be typically observed under a polarizing optical microscope (POM). [...] Read more.
The working principle for a liquid crystal (LC)-based biosensor relies on the disturbance in the orderly aligned LC molecules induced by analytes at the LC-aqueous or LC-solid interface to produce optical signals that can be typically observed under a polarizing optical microscope (POM). Our previous studies demonstrate that such optical response can be enhanced by imposing a weak electric field on LCs so that they are readily tilted from the homeotropic alignment in response to lower concentrations of analytes at the LC-glass interface. In this study, an alternative approach toward signal amplification is proposed by taking advantage of the marginally tilted alignment configuration without applying an electric field. The surface of glass substrates was modified with a binary aligning agent of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and dimethyloctadecyl[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl] ammonium chloride (DMOAP), in which the amount of PVA was fine-tuned so that the interfacing LC molecules were slightly tilted but remained virtually homeotropically aligned to yield no light leakage under the POM in the absence of an analyte. Two nematic LCs, E7 and 5CB, were each sandwiched between two parallel glass substrates coated with the PVA/DMOAP composite for the detection of bovine serum albumin (BSA), a model protein, and cortisol, a small-molecule steroid hormone. Through image analysis of the optical appearance of E7 observed under the POM, a limit of detection (LOD) of 2.5 × 10−8 μg/mL for BSA and that of 3 × 10−6 μg/mL for cortisol were deduced. Both values are significantly lower than that obtained with only DMOAP as the alignment layers, which correspond to signal amplification of more than six orders of magnitude. The new approach for signal amplification reported in this work enables analytes of a wide range of molecular weights to be detected with high sensitivity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Liquid Crystal-Based Biosensors)
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Review

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27 pages, 7813 KiB  
Review
Liquid Crystal Biosensors: Principles, Structure and Applications
by Haonan Wang, Tianhua Xu, Yaoxin Fu, Ziyihui Wang, Mark S. Leeson, Junfeng Jiang and Tiegen Liu
Biosensors 2022, 12(8), 639; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12080639 - 14 Aug 2022
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3853
Abstract
Liquid crystals (LCs) have been widely used as sensitive elements to construct LC biosensors based on the principle that specific bonding events between biomolecules can affect the orientation of LC molecules. On the basis of the sensing interface of LC molecules, LC biosensors [...] Read more.
Liquid crystals (LCs) have been widely used as sensitive elements to construct LC biosensors based on the principle that specific bonding events between biomolecules can affect the orientation of LC molecules. On the basis of the sensing interface of LC molecules, LC biosensors can be classified into three types: LC–solid interface sensing platforms, LC–aqueous interface sensing platforms, and LC–droplet interface sensing platforms. In addition, as a signal amplification method, the combination of LCs and whispering gallery mode (WGM) optical microcavities can provide higher detection sensitivity due to the extremely high quality factor and the small mode volume of the WGM optical microcavity, which enhances the interaction between the light field and biotargets. In this review, we present an overview of the basic principles, the structure, and the applications of LC biosensors. We discuss the important properties of LC and the principle of LC biosensors. The different geometries of LCs in the biosensing systems as well as their applications in the biological detection are then described. The fabrication and the application of the LC-based WGM microcavity optofluidic sensor in the biological detection are also introduced. Finally, challenges and potential research opportunities in the development of LC-based biosensors are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Liquid Crystal-Based Biosensors)
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37 pages, 6556 KiB  
Review
State-of-the-Art Development in Liquid Crystal Biochemical Sensors
by Xiyun Zhan, Yanjun Liu, Kun-Lin Yang and Dan Luo
Biosensors 2022, 12(8), 577; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12080577 - 29 Jul 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3317
Abstract
As an emerging stimuli-responsive material, liquid crystal (LC) has attracted great attentions beyond display applications, especially in the area of biochemical sensors. Its high sensitivity and fast response to various biological or chemical analytes make it possible to fabricate a simple, real-time, label-free, [...] Read more.
As an emerging stimuli-responsive material, liquid crystal (LC) has attracted great attentions beyond display applications, especially in the area of biochemical sensors. Its high sensitivity and fast response to various biological or chemical analytes make it possible to fabricate a simple, real-time, label-free, and cost-effective LC-based detection platform. Advancements have been achieved in the development of LC-based sensors, both in fundamental research and practical applications. This paper briefly reviews the state-of-the-art research on LC sensors in the biochemical field, from basic properties of LC material to the detection mechanisms of LC sensors that are categorized into LC-solid, LC–aqueous, and LC droplet platforms. In addition, various analytes detected by LCs are presented as a proof of the application value, including metal ions, nucleic acids, proteins, glucose, and some toxic chemical substances. Furthermore, a machine-learning-assisted LC sensing platform is realized to provide a foundation for device intelligence and automatization. It is believed that a portable, convenient, and user-friendly LC-based biochemical sensing device will be achieved in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Liquid Crystal-Based Biosensors)
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31 pages, 3095 KiB  
Review
Overview of Liquid Crystal Biosensors: From Basic Theory to Advanced Applications
by Ruixiang Qu and Guoqiang Li
Biosensors 2022, 12(4), 205; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12040205 - 29 Mar 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4190
Abstract
Liquid crystals (LCs), as the remarkable optical materials possessing stimuli-responsive property and optical modulation property simultaneously, have been utilized to fabricate a wide variety of optical devices. Integrating the LCs and receptors together, LC biosensors aimed at detecting various biomolecules have been extensively [...] Read more.
Liquid crystals (LCs), as the remarkable optical materials possessing stimuli-responsive property and optical modulation property simultaneously, have been utilized to fabricate a wide variety of optical devices. Integrating the LCs and receptors together, LC biosensors aimed at detecting various biomolecules have been extensively explored. Compared with the traditional biosensing technologies, the LC biosensors are simple, visualized, and efficient. Owning to the irreplaceable superiorities, the research enthusiasm for the LC biosensors is rapidly rising. As a result, it is necessary to overview the development of the LC biosensors to guide future work. This article reviews the basic theory and advanced applications of LC biosensors. We first discuss different mesophases and geometries employed to fabricate LC biosensors, after which we introduce various detecting mechanisms involved in biomolecular detection. We then focus on diverse detection targets such as proteins, enzymes, nucleic acids, glucose, cholesterol, bile acids, and lipopolysaccharides. For each of these targets, the development history and state-of-the-art work are exhibited in detail. Finally, the current challenges and potential development directions of the LC biosensors are introduced briefly. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Liquid Crystal-Based Biosensors)
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