蟹殼上之殼糖晶型結構、為生物型液晶之最佳研究材料。因具有規則 的排列角度，並可於電子顯微鏡下觀察。本研究環繞殼糖為主軸、此 種具有高分子特質之天然生物醫學材料；藉由蟹殼、烏賊軟骨、靈芝 這三種樣品為實驗標的，期望在穿透式電子顯微鏡（ TEM ）底下搜 尋膽酯醇型液晶相（ cholesteric liquid crystal ）的存在位置與構型。將蟹殼（ crab ）以 2N NaOH 去蛋白、 2N HCl 脫鈣、冷凍乾燥脫水
、 EPON812 平板包埋等程序處理後，於 TEM 超薄切片（ 80nm ）下 證實 chitin cholesteric liquid crystal texture 的存在（ Arced pattern of f ingerprint ）。後期將純化後之殼糖以 3N HCl ；以及不同濃度之 NaO H ， 104°C 煮沸回流約 1~6 小時，離心稀釋及透析後將酸移除，並 以超音波震盪後，使得降解過後之殼糖分子轉變為凝膠狀懸浮液，濃 縮至一定濃度後產生分層現象，其分子具有類似節肢動物中殼糖微纖 維的排列特質。簡言之，本研究的主要目的為搜尋膽酯醇型液晶並探 討生体高分子液晶自我重組的特點。
膽固醇型液晶生物高分子的排列及自我重組過程 之探討
Fibroblast-collagenase (collagenase-1, matrix
The chitin crystalline architecture on crabs were by far the most suitable biomaterials fo r searching in liquid crystals. Owing to its regularly orientations and could be observed under transmission electron microscopy. The work here aims to chitin which is the biop olymers in nature, together with crabs, squid bone, and ganoderma residue as our target s for experiments. We try to find out the position and arrangement of chloesteric liquid crystal under transmission electron microscopy. First, the crab was treated by 2N NaOH to hydrolyze the protein, dissolved the mineral phase in 2N HCl, dehydrated, embedded and cured in Epon812, the arced fingerprint pattern in chitin thus could be viewed via m icrotone ultracut (80nm). Microfibrillar fragments of purified crab chitin were prepared by hydrolysis in 3 M HCl at its boilong point (104°C), together with NaOH at various c oncentration. After discarding the acid by centrifugal washing and dialysis, an ultrasoun d treatment converts the residual product to a colloidal suspension stabilized by NH3+ c harges. When dehydrated to a critical concentration, spontaneous formation of a two-ph ase equilibrium system occurs. The upper phase (lower concentration) is isotropic and t he lower phase is anisotropic. The latter displays chiral nematic order and dries to a soli d film which mimics the helicoid organization characteristic of the chitin microfibrils in the cuticle of arthopods.
Construction of Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Biopol ymers and Self-assembly Process
