Journey inside Cholesteric Microparticles: a coser look at the self-organized internal architectures

We report an experimental investigation of the internal structure of polymeric self-assembled chiral micro-particles. The polymeric beads are created by light induced polymerization of cholesteric liquid crystal droplets. Electron Microscopy (SEM and TEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) unveil that both the spherical shape and the internal self-organized structures of the precursor cholesteric droplets are preserved in the solid particles. The self organizing helicoidal structures of the liquid crystal monomer, the confinement of the liquid crystal microdroplets in water, the physicochemical control of the liquid crystal-water interface and the light guided polymerization process allow to produce different internal configurations of the helical structures. Their unique properties makes them a fascinating objects for applications in the fields of microphotonic, optical control, sensors, and sorting. The microfluidic generation approach addresses novel strategies for chiral colloidal systems and material science.