TY - JOUR A1 - Gramse, G. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Kienberger, F. T1 - Nanoscale dipole dynamics of protein membranes studied by broadband dielectric microscopy N2 - We investigate the nearfield dipole mobility of protein membranes in a wide frequency range from 3 kHz to 10 GHz. The results of our nanoscale dielectric images and spectra of bacteriorhodopsin (bR) reveal Debye relaxations with time constants of τ ∼ 2 ns and τ ∼ 100 ns being characteristic of the Dipole moments of the bR retinal and α-helices, respectively. However, the dipole mobility and therefore the protein biophysical function depend critically on the amount of surface water surrounding the protein, and the characteristic mobility in the secondary structure is only observed for humidity levels <30%. Our results have been achieved by adding the frequency as a second fundamental dimension to quantitative dielectric microscopy. The key elements for the success of this advanced technique are the employed heterodyne detection scheme, the broadband electrical signal source, a high frequency optimized cabling, development of calibration procedures and precise finite element modelling. Our study demonstrates the exciting possibilities of broadband dielectric microscopy for the investigation of dynamic processes in cell bioelectricity at the individual molecular level. Furthermore, the technique may shed light on local dynamic processes in related materials science applications like semiconductor Research or nano-electronics. KW - Broadband dielectric microscopy PY - 2019 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-475230 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/c8nr05880f SN - 2040-3372 VL - 11 IS - 10 SP - 4303 EP - 4309 PB - RSC AN - OPUS4-47523 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sentker, K. A1 - Yildirim, Arda A1 - Lippmann, M. A1 - Zantop, A. W. A1 - Bertram, F. A1 - Hofmann, T. A1 - Seeck, O. H. A1 - Kityk, A. A1 - Mazza, M. G. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Huber, P. T1 - Self-assembly of liquid crystals in nanoporous solids for adaptive photonic metamaterials N2 - Nanoporous media exhibit structures significantly smaller than the wavelengths of visible light and can thus act as photonic metamaterials. Their optical functionality is not determined by the properties of the base materials, but rather by tailored, multiscale structures, in terms of precise pore shape, geometry, and orientation. Embedding liquid crystals in pore space provides additional opportunities to control light–matter interactions at the single-pore, meta-atomic scale. Here, we present temperature-dependent 3D reciprocal space mapping using synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction in combination with high-Resolution birefringence experiments on disk-like mesogens (HAT6) imbibed in self-ordered arrays of parallel cylindrical pores 17 to 160 nm across in monolithic anodic aluminium oxide (AAO). In agreement with Monte Carlo computer simulations we observe a remarkably rich self-assembly behaviour, unknown from the bulk state. It encompasses transitions between the isotropic liquid state and discotic stacking in linear columns as well as circular concentric ring formation perpendicular and parallel to the pore axis. These textural transitions underpin an optical birefringence functionality, tuneable in magnitude and in sign from positive to negative via pore size, pore surface-grafting and temperature. Our study demonstrates that the advent of large-scale, self-organised nanoporosity in monolithic solids along with confinement-controllable phase behaviour of liquid-crystalline matter at the single-pore scale provides a reliable and accessible tool to design materials with adjustable optical anisotropy, and thus offers versatile pathways to finetune polarisation-dependent light propagation speeds in materials. Such a tailorability is at the core of the emerging field of transformative optics, allowing, e.g., adjustable light absorbers and extremely thin metalenses. KW - Discotic Liquid Crystals PY - 2019 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-499601 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/c9nr07143a SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - RSC Royal Society of Chemistry AN - OPUS4-49960 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -