****Nontechnical abstract**** The research of the Soft Materials Research Center, SMRC is organized into two Interdisciplinary Research Groups: Liquid Crystal Frontiers (LCF), and Click Nucleic Acids (CNA). LCF research is directed toward the creation, understanding, development, and application of novel soft materials, with liquid crystal ordering as an underlying theme. This IRG expands the horizons and application of LC science in exciting new ways, evolving materials that are active, functional, and responsive. These attributes, long appreciated in LCs, including LC display electro-optics, will be sought in new structural manifestations and applications of soft materials. The CNA IRG proposes an exciting new area that uses broadly accessible thiol-ene click chemistries, a family of chemistries know for their robust, clean reactions, to link nucleic acids thus developing synthetic analogs of DNA called CNAs. An advantage of CNAs is that they have a greater range of chemical properties than those exhibited by natural nucleic acids. The SMRC operates and continues to develop nationally recognized education outreach activities directed toward the enhancement of science literacy and achievement. These include Materials Science from CU, K-12 traveling science classes that have reached ~80,000 CO students; Pathways Programs which facilitate the passage of under-represented minority students from high school to undergraduate success, and partnerships with under-represented minority-serving undergraduate institutions transitioning undergraduate students toward STEM graduate careers. The Center has nucleated a vibrant Boulder/Denver industrial activity of LC-related start-up and spin-off companies, many employing Center graduates, with achievements that include commercialization of LC-On-Si (LCOS) microdisplays.
The Liquid Crystal Frontiers (LCF), and Click Nucleic Acids (CNA) IRGs meld materials design, synthesis, modeling, and physical study into a seamless web that drives and facilitates the evolution of new materials. Of particular interest in LCF research are new LC structural themes that exploit the interplay of chirality and polarity, such as the heliconical nematic and helical nanofilament phases; novel LC phases of colloidal plates and rods including ferromagnetic nematics; LC interaction with topologically complex colloids; nanoporous LC polymers for electrolytes and organic photovoltaics; active interfacial LCs for biodetection; chromonic LC mixtures; and hierarchical self-assembly of nanoDNA. IRG2, the CNA IRG, will pursue the opportunities presented by CNA with a synthetic approach that focuses on the development of highly scalable synthetic processes for CNAs, on expansion of the base alphabets, and on control of the backbone and side chains to tailor molecular compatibility. The CNA self-assembly thrust will emphasize taking advantage of the enhanced programmability and design flexibility afforded by CNAs, in applications including nanotemplating and nanopatterning, nanoparticle organization, block copolymers, and hydrogels. The SMRC operates and continues to develop nationally recognized education outreach activities directed toward the enhancement of science literacy and achievement. The Center has nucleated a vibrant Boulder/Denver industrial activity of LC-related start-up and spin-off companies, many employing Center graduates, with achievements that include commercialization of LC-On-Si (LCOS) microdisplays.
