Abstract
Liquid crystals are an integral part of a mature display technology, also establishing themselves in other applications, such as spatial light modulators, telecommunication technology, photonics, or sensors, just to name a few of the non-display applications. In recent years, there has been an increasing trend to add various nanomaterials to liquid crystals, which is motivated by several aspects of materials development. (i) addition of nanomaterials can change and thus tune the properties of the liquid crystal; (ii) novel functionalities can be added to the liquid crystal; and (iii) the self-organization of the liquid crystalline state can be exploited to template ordered structures or to transfer order onto dispersed nanomaterials. Much of the research effort has been concentrated on thermotropic systems, which change order as a function of temperature. Here we review the other side of the medal, the formation and properties of ordered, anisotropic fluid phases, liquid crystals, by addition of shape-anisotropic nanomaterials to isotropic liquids. Several classes of materials will be discussed, inorganic and mineral liquid crystals, viruses, nanotubes and nanorods, as well as graphene oxide.
Highlights
Liquid crystals (LC) are a state of matter which is thermodynamically located between the isotropic liquid and the crystalline phase [1,2]
Much effort has been invested into the study of nanoparticles dispersed in LCs. These systems are mainly studied for their possibility to tune the liquid crystalline properties, such as threshold voltage Vth, response times τ, viscosity η, dielectric anisotropy ∆ε, refractive index n, or the birefringence ∆n, which are of importance for applications, especially in the area of LC displays (LCDs)
The rotation of the blocks will eventually lead to a helical superstructure, which can be commensurate or incommensurate. They attribute their interpretation to the observed weak layering by small angle X-ray scattering (Figure 17d) in combination with LC texture observation and cryo-Scanning Electron Microscopy. This appears to be a point of controversy, because the formation of a twist grain boundary (TGB)-like phase requires the presence of chirality, which is absent in the studied system, as neither the graphene oxide, nor the solvent are chiral
Summary
Liquid crystals (LC) are a state of matter which is thermodynamically located between the isotropic liquid and the crystalline phase [1,2] They exhibit flow properties like a liquid and at the same time partially retain the order of a crystal. The liquid crystalline state can be brought about via two fundamentally different ways, leading to the two basic classes of LC, thermotropic phases and lyotropic phases. The former is achieved by varying an intensive variable of state, such as temperature or pressure, while the latter is formed through a variation of the concentration of a dopant in an isotropic solvent, often water
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
