Abstract
ABSTRACTThe structural support of plant cells is provided by the cell wall, which major load-bearing component is an array of hierarchical orientedhierarchical-oriented cellulose nano-, micro- and meso-structures of cellulose microfibrils. Cellulosic structures can respond to humidity changes by expanding or shrinking and this allows, for example, the dispersion of seeds. Previous studies have shown that nanorods, extracted from cell walls, can generate lyotropic liquid crystals that are at the origin of solid cholesteric-like arrangements. Not only photonic films, but also right and left helical filaments, anisotropic films with the ability to bend back and forth under the action of a moisture gradient at room temperature, are some of the materials that were produced from cellulose liquid crystal systems. This work is a review that focus on liquid crystalline-based structures obtained from cellulosic materials and how small perturbations on their structures affect significantly the response to external stimulus and interactions with the environment. Special emphasis is given to cholesteric-like organization of cellulose structures existing in plants, which are an inspiration for the production of the next generation of soft interactive materials.
Highlights
The structural support of plant cells is provided by the cell wall, which major load-bearing component is an array of hierarchical orientedhierarchical-oriented cellulose nano, micro- and meso-structures of cellulose microfibrils
The cholesteric phase is present in lyotropic as well as in thermotropic systems, which are obtained from cellulose-based materials, and a pallet of structural colours can be obtained [12]
Solid structures resembling ordered cholesteric phases are present in cellulosic structures, which are found in the cell wall of the tissues of Plants
Summary
At different scales, anisotropic cellulose structures that are responsible, for instance, for colour or/and movement. Bouligand evidenced the similarity existing between the molecular orientation of the molecules in the cholesteric phase and observed the orientation of microfibrils in plant structures (Figure 2(b)). In 2012, Vignolini et al [5] showed that the iridescent blue colour exhibited by the fruit of the Pollia condensata (Figure 2(c)) is due to the presence of thickwalled cells in the epicarp forming a helicoidal structures corresponding to the orientation of cellulose microfibrils oriented in such a way that a helix is formed. When the fruit is hydrated, the expansion of the seeds eliminates the layer of air and the seeds contact with the endocarp, promoting the appearance of the blue-green colour These examples highlight the macroscopic effect that can be observed (structural colour) when cellulose microfibrils are present, in a much smaller scale with a periodical helicoidal structure. Canejo et al reported on the interactions between stretched liquid crystalline filaments, which modify their topology and geometry, being crucial for tuning their mechanical and optical properties [59]
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