Liquid Crystal Based Optical Sensor for Imaging Trypsin Activity at Interfaces Between Aqueous Phases and Thermotropic Liquid Crystals

In this study, we developed a liquid crystal (LC)-based optical sensor for monitoring enzymatic activity through orientational changes in liquid crystals (LCs) coupled to the properties of a poly-L-lysine (PLL)-based polymeric membrane. We prepared a PLL-based polymeric membrane at the planar interface between the thermotropic liquid crystal and aqueous phases. The PLL-based polymeric membrane was obtained by contacting the PLL solution with water immiscible LCs, 4-cyano-4'-pentyl-biphenyl (5CB) doped with adipoyl chloride. We then investigated the membrane properties by examining the permeability of the membrane to phospholipids, 1,2-didodecanoyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DLPC). The permeability of the membrane to transport phospholipids was monitored through the orientational transition of 5CB in contact with the dispersions of DLPC. Since trypsin can enzymatically catalyze the hydrolysis of PLL, we incubated an aqueous trypsin solution with the membrane for 2 h at room temperature to cause an increase in the permeability of the polymeric membrane to DLPC. As a result, a bright to dark optical shift of LCs was observed, which implied that an enzymatic reaction between trypsin and PLL-based membrane occurred. Two control experiments using chymotrypsin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) revealed no sign of improved permeability based on the orientational transition of LCs.