• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.1223-1227
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• 2010

In this study, the orientational behavior of thermotropic liquid crystals (LC) supported on a film of protein receptors was examined. Avidin was roller printed and covalently immobilized onto the surface of gold using NHS/EDC chemistry. The orientation of nematic 4-cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl (5CB) was found to be parallel to the plane of the printed avidin surface before incubation with a solution of biotin. However, protein-receptor complexation induced a random orientation of 5CB, where protein-receptor complexes disturbed the nanoscale topography of the printed protein surface. Atomic force microscopy and ellipsometry was used to confirm printing and the specific interaction of proteins. These results demonstrate that the combination of LC and roller printing can be used to detect specific interactions between biomolecules by manipulating the orientational behavior of LC to the printed protein surfaces.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.4377-4381
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• 2011

In this study, real-time and label-free methods for monitoring the enzymatic reaction of urease, which releases ammonia through the hydrolysis of urea in an aqueous solution, were developed using a liquid crystal (LC)-based pH sensor. Nematic liquid crystal 4-cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl (5CB), doped with 4'-pentyl-biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (PBA), exhibited a shift in optical appearance from bright to dark when it was in contact with ammonia generated from the enzymatic reaction between urease and urea. This optical change was attributed to the anchoring transitions of LCs caused by hydrophobic interactions between the tails of deprotonted PBA ($PBA^-$) molecules and the LCs at the aqueous/LC interface. This novel technique holds great promise for the sensitive detection of urease along with its substrates and inhibitors.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.1262-1266
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• 2010

In this study, we investigated the use of liquid crystals to selectively detect the activity of enzymes at interfaces decorated with oligopeptide-based membranes. We prepared a mixed monolayer of tetra(ethylene glycol)-terminated lipids and carboxylic acid-terminated lipids at the aqueous-liquid crystal (LC) interface. The 17 amino-acid oligopeptide SNFKTIYDEANQFATYK was then immobilized onto this mixed monolayer through N-hydroxysuccinimide-activation of the carboxylic acid groups. We examined the orientational behavior of nematic 4-cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl (5CB) after conjugation of the 17 amino-acid oligopeptide with the mixed monolayer assembled at the interface. Immobilization of the oligopeptide caused orientational transitions in 5CB, with a change from homeotropic (perpendicular) to tilted alignment, which was primarily due to the reorganization of the monolayer. The orientation of the 5CB molecules returned to its homeotropic state after contacting the interface containing ${\alpha}$-chymotrypsin, which can cleave the immobilized oligopeptide. Control experiments confirmed that the enzymatic activity of ${\alpha}$-chymotrypsin triggered the ordering transitions in the LC. These results suggest that the LC can provide a facile method for selective detection of enzymatic activity.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.163-163
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• 2015

The effect of nematic liquid crystal(5CB-4-Cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl) on the amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide thin film transistors(a-IGZO TFTs) was investigated. Through dropping the 5CB on the a-IGZO TFT's channel layer which is deposited by RF-magnetron sputtering, properties of a-IGZO TFTs was dramatically improved. When drain bias was induced, 5CB molecules were oriented by Freedericksz transition generating positive charges to one side of dipoles. From increment of the capacitance by orientation of liquid crystals, the drain current was increased, and we analyzed these phenomena mathematically by using MOSFET model. Transfer characteristic showed improvement such as decreasing of subthreshold slope(SS) value 0.4 to 0.2 and 0.45 to 0.25 at linear region and saturation region, respectively. Furthermore, in positive bias system(PBS), prevention effect for electron trapping by 5CB liquid crystal dipoles was observed, which showing decrease of threshold voltage shift [(${\delta}V$]_TH) when induced +20V for 1~1000sec at the gate electrode.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.341-344
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• 2019

Liquid crystal (LC) mesophase materials manifest a variety of phase transitions. The optical properties of LCs are highly dependent upon the phase and orientation of the optical axis with respect to the polarization of incoming light. Studying the LC phase transitions is significantly important for a wide range of scientific and industrial applications. In this study, we demonstrate the propagation velocity of the phase boundary between the nematic and isotropic phase of 4-Cyano-4-pentylbiphenyl (5CB) liquid crystal for different electric fields using a polarized optical microscope. The results demonstrate that the propagation velocity of the phase boundary exhibits a peak value for a specific voltage, attributed to the supercooling of the isotropic phase of the LC. The analysis of the propagation velocity for different electric fields also provides a simple optical platform to measure the thermal anisotropy and voltage dependent thermal properties of the homogeneously aligned LC.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.9
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• pp.2704-2710
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• 2014

Catalase (CAT) decomposes hydrogen peroxide that is toxic to the body. In this study, simple and sensitive detector has been developed for observing catalase activity using liquid crystal droplet system. Microscale LC droplet patterns are formed by spreading aldehyde-doped nematic liquid crystal on pre-treated glass slides. When hydrogen peroxide is added, aldehyde is oxidized and amphiphiles are formed. Dodecanoates cause the pattern to transit from bright to dark as they self-assemble to form a carboxyalte monolayer at the interface. When a drop of pre-incubated CAT and hydrogen peroxide mixture is placed onto the pattern, bright fan-shape is observed. This planar optical appearance indicates that catalase has decomposed hydrogen peroxide. Compared to the detectors that have been previously developed, this system is more sensitive with detection limit of 1fM. This research suggests further studies to be on LC droplet patterning to develop highly sensitive and methodologically simple sensors for various chemicals.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.267.1-267.1
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• 2016

본 연구에서는 nematic 액정의 종류 중 하나인 5CB (4-Cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl) 물질을 박막 트랜지스터 (TFT)의 passivation 층으로 사용했을 때 그 전기적 특성향상을 확인하였다. RF-magnetron sputtering법으로 증착된 비정질 InGaZnO 박막을 활성층으로 사용한 TFT를 제작하여 그 활성층 위에 drop형식으로 passivation 하였다. 그 결과, drain current (I_DS)가 약 10배 정도 증가하고, linear region(V_D=0.5V)에서 mobility와 subthreshold slope(SS)이 각각 6.7에서 12.2, 0.3에서 0.2로 향상되는 것이 보였다. 이것은 gate bias가 인가되었을 때 freedericksz 전이를 통한 액정의 배향과 이때 형성된 dipole 형성에 의한 것으로 보이며, 이러한 LC의 배향은 편광현미경을 통하여 표면과 수직으로 배향한다는 사실을 확인 할 수 있었고 이 LC-passivation된 a-IGZO TFT의 전기적 특성의 향상에 대한 mechanism을 제시하였다. 그리고 배향한 LC가 가지는 dipole에 의해 bias stress 상황에서 독특한 electron trapping과 recovery의 증폭효과가 나타났다. V_G=+20V의 positive gate bias stress를 1000s동안 가했을 때, passivation되지 않은 a-IGZO TFT의 경우 +4V의 threshold voltage shift(${\Delta}V$_TH)가 발생되었고, 바로 -20V의 negative gate bias를 30s간 가해주었을 때 -2.5V의 ${\Delta}V$_TH가 발생하였다. 반면 LC-passivation된 a-IGZO TFT의 경우 각각 +5V와 -4V의 ${\Delta}V$_TH로 더 큰 변화를 가져왔다. 이러한 LC에 의한 electron trapping/recovery 증폭효과에 대한 model을 제시하였다.