The organization of nanocolloidal liquid crystals in constrained geometries has fundamental and practical importance, since under confinement, liquid crystals contain stable topological defects that can serve as templates for nanoparticle organization. Three-dimensional confinement of cholesteric (Ch) liquid crystals formed by cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have been extensively studied; however, their two-dimensional confinement remains under-investigated. Here, we report the results of systematic experimental studies of two-dimensional confinement of Ch-CNC liquid crystal in cylindrical capillaries with varying inner diameters. Confinement resulted in phase separation of the Ch-CNC liquid crystal into a Ch shell formed by concentric CNC pseudolayers with the helicoidal axis perpendicular to the inner surface of the capillary walls, and a micrometer-diameter isotropic core thread running parallel to the long axis of the capillary. The morphology of the confined Ch-CNC liquid crystal varied when progressively increasing the degree confinement. Finally, we show that phase separation of the Ch-CNC liquid crystal into a Ch shell and an isotropic core is preserved in flexible capillary tubing, suggesting the applicability of this system for the fabrication of flexible optical waveguides.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c04387 | DOI Listing |
Chemphyschem
January 2025
Christ University, Centre for Advanced Research and Development, Hosur Road, Central Campus, 560029, India, 560029, Bengaluru, INDIA.
The utilization of liquid crystals (LC) as materials has enabled the enlargement of lenses with the potential to alter their focus. Tunable LC lenses with adjustable focus are essential for optical imaging, sensing, and detection devices. This technology offers many benefits, such as the ability to adjust focus, operate with low power, and be easily made.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLangmuir
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
Controllable preparation of inorganic nanomaterials with specific morphology and structure is very important for their applications in various fields. Herein, a general strategy was proposed to controllably synthesize nano-CaCO via a water-in-oil microemulsion method in the rotating packed bed reactor. By tuning key parameters, nano-CaCO with four primarily analyzed morphologies, including spherical, spindle-like, clustered, or linear formations, can be selectively obtained.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Colloid Interface Sci
January 2025
Institute of Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, College of Optical and Electronic Technology, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018 PR China. Electronic address:
Red light emitting perovskite quantum dot (PQD) glass, with narrow-band emission and excellent stability, holds great potential for applications in liquid crystal displays. However, its low photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) remains the biggest obstacle limiting its practical application. Additionally, the mechanism behind the enhancement of the PLQY is not well understood, which restricts the further improvement of the PLQY in red light emitting PQD glass.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLangmuir
January 2025
Department of Chemistry, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States.
Slip flow, a fluid flow enhanced in comparison to that calculated using continuum equations, has been reported for many nanopores, mostly those with hydrophobic surfaces. We investigated the flow of water, hexane, and methanol through hydrophilic nanopores in silica colloidal crystals. Three silica sphere sizes were used to prepare the crystals: 150 ± 30, 500 ± 40, and 1500 ± 100 nm.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdv Sci (Weinh)
January 2025
South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, School of Emergent Soft Matter, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China.
High birefringence nematic liquid crystals are particularly demanded for adaptive optics applications in the infrared spectrum because it enable a thinner cell gap for achieving fast response time and improved diffraction efficiency. The emerging ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals have attracted widespread interest in soft matter due to their unique combination of ferroelectricity and fluidity. However, the birefringence, which is one of the most important optical parameters in electro-optic devices, is not large enough (<0.
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