Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

Cornell University

Nanqi Bao

Nicholas Lawrence Abbott

Huaizhe Yu

Emmanouil Mavrikakis

Ayushi Tripathi

Jake Gold

Tibor Szilvasi

Trenton Wolter

Methods for monitoring catalytic chemical reactions are provided. Such a method may comprise (a) exposing a solid surface to conditions to induce a chemical reaction of reactants at an interface formed between the solid surface and a liquid crystal, wherein the solid surface catalyzes the chemical reaction and the liquid crystal is characterized by an anchoring orientation that changes during the chemical reaction; and (b) measuring the anchoring orientation of the liquid crystal at one or more time points and at one or more locations on the solid surface during step (a). Systems for carrying out the methods are also provided.

Monitoring catalytic chemical reactions using liquid crystals

Liquid crystal-based devices for detecting chlorine in a sample and methods of using such devices to detect chlorine are disclosed. Such devices have a substrate surface that includes either metal cations or a metal that is in contact with a composition that includes a liquid crystal. When the device is contacted with a sample that contains chlorine, an observed change in the orientational ordering of the liquid crystal signals the presence of the chlorine. In the absence of chlorine, no change in orientational ordering occurs.

Functional surfaces for liquid crystal-based detection of chlorine gas

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Madison, WI, United States of America

Nanqi Bao