A cold-responsive liquid crystal elastomer provides visual signals for monitoring a critical temperature decrease.

ABSTRACT: Critical temperature indicators have been extensively utilized in various fields, ranging from healthcare to food safety. However, the majority of the temperature indicators are designed for upper critical temperature monitoring, indicating when the temperature rises and exceeds a predefined limit, whereas stringently demanded low critical temperature indicators are scarcely developed. Herein, we develop a new material and system that monitor temperature decrease, e.g., from ambient temperature to the freezing point, or even to an ultra-low temperature of -20 °C. For this purpose, we create a dynamic membrane which can open and close during temperature cycles from high temperature to low temperature. This membrane consists of a gold-liquid crystal elastomer (Au-LCE) bilayer structur

SUBMITTER: Zhan Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10317110 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature