Marianne Prévôt

Printing the Next Generation of Sustainable Plastic Optics Across Multiple Dimensions and Length Scales 

Our group explores the potential and viability of biodegradable, environmentally friendly, luminescent bioplastic materials. Our research, which focuses on the functionalization of nanomaterials and polymer materials with liquid crystal moieties, has the potential to revolutionize diverse optical uses in medicine, sensing, and information.

1. Emissive Functional Liquid Crystal Devices

This research focuses on understanding the efficiency of chirality transfer (also called amplification) across length scales, with the objective of controlling it for the next generation of products in polarized optics. We design circularly polarized emissive materials with tunable properties, actuatable through various stimuli such as heat, light, electric and magnetic fields.

We utilize a liquid crystal strategy to design ultra-efficient circularly polarized luminescent devices with unique and enhanced specifications. These devices can be envisioned as chiroptical probes and provide higher sensitivity and resolution in chemical and biological optical sensing. They can also be used as chiroptical switches for encrypted integrated logic devices with higher storage density and security. These optical elements feature high accuracy with low cost through rapid prototyping. The long-term goal of this research is to progress its practical relevance from a static element to a dynamic optical device allowing to advance the real-world applications of the “smart” materials.

2. Zero-Power Liquid crystal-based sensors

The main objective of this project is to develop diverse production approaches to deploy zero-power, highly customizable, lightweight, and low-cost sensors that can detect and monitor acute and chronic exposures to a multitude of toxic gases. The key goals are to develop sensors that provide (i) high sensor responsivity, (ii) high sensor sensitivity and selectivity, and (iii) stability in time. The portable, mountable, zero-power gas detectors are capable of detecting a variety of toxic gases within the same platform with significantly improved specificity and selectivity. The sensor functionality will dramatically assist in faster assessing a hazardous environment. The research will ultimately participate in creating a safe environment for the defense personnel and first responders.

We are always on the lookout for interested and motivated graduate and undergraduate students to join our team.

Selected Publications

The Prévôt Lab focuses on printing the next generation of sustainable plastic optics across multiple dimensions and industries. (Left) Highly tunable circularly polarized emission of an aggregation-induced emission dye using liquid crystal-based helical nano- and microfilaments as supramolecular chiral templates. (Right) Zero-power optical, ppt- to ppm-level toxic gas and vapor sensors with image, text, and analytical capabilities.

Selected Publications

• R. Williams, G.A.R. Rohaley, A. Gowda, G. Pegorin, A. Oprandi, D. Motovilov, A. Schneider, E. Hegmann, M.E. Prévôt*, T. Hegmann*, “Zero-power, optical toxic gas and vapor sensors utilizing printed nematic liquid crystal patterns on selectively reactive substrates”, Advanced Sensor Research, 2025, 2400166.

• A. Gowda, G. Acharjee, S.K. Pathak, G.A.R. Rohaley, A. Shah, R.P. Lemieux, M.E. Prévôt*, T. Hegmann*, “Nano- and microfilaments formed by bent-core liquid crystal molecules displaying morphological changes within filaments”, Materials Horizons, 2024, 11, 5550-5563.

• B. Sezgin, J. Liu, D.P.N. Gonçalves, C. Zhu, T. Tilki, M.E. Prévôt*, T. Hegmann*, “Controlling the structure and morphology of organic nanofilaments using external stimuli”, ACS Nanoscience Au, 2023, 3, 295-309, DOI:10.1021/acsnanoscienceau.3c00005.

• M.E. Prévôt, S. Ustunel, G. Freychet, C.R. Webb, M. Zhernenkov, R. Pindak, R.J. Clements, E. Hegmann, “Physical models from physical templates using biocompatible liquid crystal elastomers as morphologically programmable inks for 3D printing”, Macromolecular Bioscience, 2023, 23, 2200343, DOI:10.1002/mabi.202200343.

• J. Liu, Y. Molard, M.E. Prévôt*, T. Hegmann*, “Highly tunable circularly polarized emission of an aggregation-induced emission dye using helical nano- and microfilaments as supramolecular chiral templates”, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2022, 14, 25, 29398, DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c05012.

• M.E. Prévôt, S. Ustunel, B. Yavitt, G. Freychet, C.R. Webb, M. Zhernenkov, E. Hegmann, and R. Pindak, “Synchrotron microbeam diffraction studies on the alignment within 3D-printed smectic-A liquid crystal elastomer filaments during extrusion”, Crystals, 2021, 11, 5, 523, DOI:10.3390/cryst11050523.

• M.E. Prévôt, A. Nemati, T.R. Cull, E. Hegmann, and T. Hegmann, “A zero-power optical, ppt- to ppm-level toxic gas and vapor sensor with image, text, and analytical capabilities”, Advanced Materials Technologies, 2020, 2000058, DOI: 10.1002/admt.202000058.