Phase Separations in Mixtures of a Nanoparticle and a Liquid Crystal

Abstract

Liquid crystal suspensions including variousmicroand nano-colloidal particles have recently been received great attention for many practical applications such as nanosensors and devices, etc. When large colloidal particles of micronscale are dispersed in a uniform nematic liquid crystal phase, the colloidal particles disturb a long-range orientational order of the nematic phase. For a strong anchoring between the colloidal surface and a liquid crystal, different defect structures such as hedgehogs or Saturn rings can appear around a single colloidal particle, due to strong director deformations.(Fukuda, 2009; Skarabot et.al., 2008; Stark, 2001) Experiments have also shown two-dimensional crystalline structures of colloidal particles.(Loudet et. al., 2004; Musevic et. al., 2006; Nazarenko et. al., 2001; Pouling et.al., 1997; Yada et. al., 2004; Zapotocky et.al., 1999) On the other hand, under a weak surface anchoring between the colloidal surface and a liquid crystal, the coupling to the orientational elasticity of the liquid crystals tends to expel the colloidal particles and the suspension shows a phase separation into an almost pure nematic phase coexisting with a colloidal rich phase.(Anderson et.al., 2001; Pouling et. al., 1994) Such phase separations induced by a nematic ordering have also been discussed in flexible polymers dispersed in a nematic liquid crystal.(Chiu & Kyu, 1999; Das & Ray, 2005; Dubaut et.al., 1980; Matsuyama & Kato, 1996; Shen & Kyu, 1995)