Project description
Light-induced spinning of enantiomers separates them in a microfluidic chamber
Chiral molecules have the same chemical formulas and atomic bonds but different 3D configurations. They are ubiquitous in nature and a thorn in synthetic chemists’ side. Often only one of the two is desirable, and the other must be separated out. With the support of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions programme, the OPS-CLC project will harness novel light-matter interactions for contactless separation of enantiomers. Light can exert linear and angular momentum, inducing optical torque that is different for the two enantiomers. OPS-CLC will use this effect to separate enantiomers in liquid crystal droplets immersed in a microfluidic chamber, providing a simple and effective solution to this significant challenge.
Objective
Interaction between light waves and chiral matter is a fundamental topic in optics and material sciences. When the matter is chiral, light can exert linear and angular momentum, optical torque, which has a differentiated sense depending on the handedness of the material and the helicity of the light. In this project, we propose to exploit the intrinsic chirality of cholesteric liquid crystals droplets on a microfluidic chamber to generate a differentiated rotation on different enantiomers of cholesteric liquid crystal. It has been shown numerically that rotating disks on a fluid produce a sorting effect, isolating the disks with different rotation senses. In this project, we propose to exploit the chirality in cholesteric liquid crystals to generate contactless enantioseparation of droplets with plane wavefront linearly polarised light, ensuring a robust and scalable enantioseparation technique. The project contemplates producing optical enantioseparation of polydisperse cholesteric liquid crystal droplets immersed in a microfluidic chamber. The project focuses on developing multidisciplinary aspects of light and matter interaction, specifically when there is a handedness, both in light and matter and is expected to generate impact and enhance new concepts in multiple fields ranging from applied mathematics to chemistry. The Researcher of the proposed project is Gregorio González, PhD candidate of the University of Chile, Chile, with experience in nonlinear dynamics induced by light interaction on liquid crystal layers. The Supervisor will be Professor Etienne Brasselet in the Singular Optics group, at the Host Institution, the University of Bordeaux, France.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-AG-UN - HORIZON Unit GrantCoordinator
33000 Bordeaux
France