Liquid Crystal Volume Research Articles

Hierarchical Exploration of Drying Patterns Formed in Drops Containing Lysozyme, PBS, and Liquid Crystals

Biological systems, by nature, are highly complex. These systems exhibit diverse hierarchical spatial and temporal features when driven far from equilibrium. The generated features are susceptible to the initial conditions that largely depend on vast parameter space. Extracting information on their properties and behavior thus becomes far too complex. This work seeks to examine the drying kinetics of the drops containing a globular protein (lysozyme (Lys)), phosphate buffer saline (PBS), and thermotropic liquid crystal (LCs). The drying evolution and the morphological crack patterns of these drops are examined using high-resolution microscopy, textural image analysis, and statistical methods. This study observes that the textural parameters can identify the (i) phase separation of the salts present in the PBS and (ii) the LCs’ birefringence during the drying evolution. This birefringence activities of the LCs slow down when the initial PBS concentration is increased from 0.25 to 1× despite using a fixed volume of LCs. To comprehend such a surprising effect, the combinations of (i) Lys+PBS and (ii) PBS+LCs are thoroughly examined. A phase diagram is established as a function of initial concentrations of Lys and PBS. The scanning electron microscopic images of Lys+PBS reveal that the tuning between lysozyme and salt concentrations in PBS plays a significant role in determining the morphological patterns. The Lys drops with and without LCs exhibit two distinct regions: the peripheral ring (“coffee-ring”) and the central ones. This phase-separated ring formation indicates that the film containing Lys and salts might have formed on top of these LCs in the central region, which reduces the optical response (birefringence) of LCs. A physical mechanism is proposed in this paper to anticipate the redistributions of LCs in a multi-component system such as Lys+PBS+LCs.

Self-shaping liquid crystal droplets by balancing bulk elasticity and interfacial tension

The shape diversity and controlled reconfigurability of closed surfaces and filamentous structures, universally found in cellular colonies and living tissues, are challenging to reproduce. Here, we demonstrate a method for the self-shaping of liquid crystal (LC) droplets into anisotropic and three-dimensional superstructures, such as LC fibers, LC helices, and differently shaped LC vesicles. The method is based on two surfactants: one dissolved in the LC dispersed phase and the other in the aqueous continuous phase. We use thermal stimuli to tune the bulk LC elasticity and interfacial energy, thereby transforming an emulsion of polydispersed, spherical nematic droplets into numerous, uniform-diameter fibers with multiple branches and vice versa. Furthermore, when the nematic LC is cooled to the smectic-A LC phase, we produce monodispersed microdroplets with a tunable diameter dictated by the cooling rate. Utilizing this temperature-controlled self-shaping of LCs, we demonstrate life-like smectic LC vesicle structures analogous to the biomembranes in living systems. Our experimental findings are supported by a theoretical model of equilibrium interface shapes. The shape transformation is induced by negative interfacial energy, which promotes a spontaneous increase of the interfacial area at a fixed LC volume. The method was successfully applied to many different LC materials and phases, demonstrating a universal mechanism for shape transformation in complex fluids.

Nature of thermally excited vortical flow in a microsized nematic volume.

The theoretical description of the reorientational dynamics in the case of a hybrid-oriented two-dimensional (2D) liquid crystal (LC) cell, under the influence of a temperature gradient ∇T, caused by a heat flux q directed at an angle α across the lower bounding surface with the orientational defect, has been presented. Our calculations, based on the appropriate nonlinear extension of the classical Ericksen-Leslie theory, show that due to interaction between ∇T and the gradient of the director field ∇n[over ̂] in the LC sample a thermally excited vortical fluid flow is maintained in the bulk of the nematic volume. In order to elucidate the role of both the orientational defect and the heat flux q in formation of the vortical flow in the microsized LC volume, we have analyzed the response of the LC material confined in the microsized 2D volume on the effect of the laser beam focused on the bounding surface.

Thermally excited vortical flow in a microsized liquid crystal volume

The thermally excited vortical flow in a microsized liquid crystal (LC) volume has been investigated theoretically based on the nonlinear extension of the Ericksen-Leslie theory, with accounting the entropy balance equation. Analysis of the numerical results show that due to interaction between the gradients of the director field ∇nˆ and temperature ∇T, caused by the focused laser radiation, the thermally excited vortical fluid flow is maintained in the vicinity of the heat source. Calculations have shown that the features of the vortex flow is influenced not only by the power of the laser radiation, but also by duration of the energy injection into the microsized LC volume.

Features of Relaxation of a Stress Tensor in the Microscopic Volume of Nematic Phase under the Action of a Strong Electric Field

A numerical study of new regimes of reorientation of director field n, velocity v, and components of stress tensor σ ij (ij = x, y, z) of nematic liquid crystal (LC) encapsulated in a rectangular channel under the action of a strong electric field E directed at angle $$\alpha \left( {\sim\frac{\pi } {2}} \right)$$ to the horizontal surfaces bounding the LC channel is proposed. The numerical calculations performed in the framework of nonlinear generalization of the classical Eriksen-Leslie theory have shown that at certain relations between the torques and momenta affecting the unit LC volume and E ≫ Eth, transition periodic structures can emerge during reorientation of n, if the corresponding distortion mode has the fastest response, and, thus, suppress all other modes. Rotating domains originating within this process decrease the energy dissipation rate and create more favorable regimes of the director field reorientation, as compared with the uniform rotational displacement.

Особенности релаксации тензора напряжения в микроскопическом объеме нематической фазы под действием сильного электрического поля

AbstractA numerical study of new regimes of reorientation of director field n̂ , velocity v , and components of stress tensor σ_ ij ( ij = x , y , z ) of nematic liquid crystal (LC) encapsulated in a rectangular channel under the action of a strong electric field E directed at angle $$\alpha \left( {\sim\frac{\pi } {2}} \right)$$ α ( ∼ π 2 ) to the horizontal surfaces bounding the LC channel is proposed. The numerical calculations performed in the framework of nonlinear generalization of the classical Eriksen-Leslie theory have shown that at certain relations between the torques and momenta affecting the unit LC volume and E ≫ E _th, transition periodic structures can emerge during reorientation of n̂ , if the corresponding distortion mode has the fastest response, and, thus, suppress all other modes. Rotating domains originating within this process decrease the energy dissipation rate and create more favorable regimes of the director field reorientation, as compared with the uniform rotational displacement.

Laser-excited motion of liquid crystals confined in a microsized volume with a free surface.

The thermally excited vortical flow in a microsized liquid crystal (LC) volume with a free LC-air interface has been investigated theoretically based on the nonlinear extension of the Ericksen-Leslie theory, with accounting the entropy balance equation. Analysis of the numerical results show that due to interaction between the gradients of the director field ∇n[over ̂] and temperature field ∇T, caused by the focused heating, the thermally excited vortical fluid flow is maintained in the vicinity of the heat source. Calculations show that the magnitude and direction of the velocity field v, as well as the height of the LC-air interface are influenced by the depth of the heat penetration in the LC volume. It has been shown that there is the point in the vicinity of the LC-air interface where the thermally excited vortical flow changes the direction from anticlockwise to clockwise.

Features of electro-optical characteristics of composite liquid crystal media (a review)

Main patterns of structure formation of composite liquid crystal (LC) media and their classification according to the percentage content of liquid crystal and polymer are considered. Their properties are compared with the properties of homogeneous LC layers and the opportunities of their practical use in optical modulators are discussed. It is shown that, at small (10 wt %) monomer concentrations in the composite, its polymerization leads to formation of a thin-wall network which separates the liquid crystal into domains and provides an uniform orientation in the bulk. The polymer network increases the elasticity of the layer and decreases the relaxation time, but the devices usually work in polarized light and use the same principle as the devices filled with pure LC; i.e. the phase of the light or its polarization changes due to a change in the effective refraction index. However, the division of the LC volume into relatively autonomous domains also allows one to create a polarization-independent device based on the scattering effect. By increasing the relative content of the monomer, it is possible to ensure formation of a porous polymer matrix with inclusions of isolated from each other LC droplets. Such polymer-dispersed LC in its initial state either scatter the light of any polarization and becomes transparent state when an electric field is applied, or, with the use of special methods, the switch-off and switch-on states are swapped (“reverse mode” devices). The main advantages of the composite media are independence of polarization, mechanical strength, and small relaxation times, while the main disadvantages are increased power consumption, high polarization-independent optical losses, and significantly lower contrast. Possible ways to increase the contrast are described.

Reorientation dynamics of nematics encapsulated in microscopic volumes in a strong electric field

We theoretically describe a new regime of reorientation of the director field \(\widehat n\) and velocity v of a nematic liquid crystal (LC) encapsulated in a rectangular cell under the action of strong electric field E directed at angle α (~π/2) to the horizontal surfaces bounding the LC cell. The numerical calculations in the framework of nonlinear generalization of the classical Eriksen–Leslie theory showed that at certain relations between the torques and momenta affecting the unit LC volume and E ≫ Eth, transition periodic structures can arise during reorientation of \(\widehat n\), if the corresponding distortion mode has the fastest response and, thus, suppresses all the rest of the modes, including uniform ones. The position of sites of these periodic structures is affected by the value of field E, angle α, and the character of anchoring of LC molecules to the bounding surfaces. The calculations performed for the nematic formed by 4-n-penthyl-4’-cyanobiphenyl showed that several vortexes can form in an LC cell under the action of reorientation of the nematic field; the boundaries of these vortexes are determined by the positions of periodic structure sites.

Nematic liquid crystal gyroids as photonic crystals

ABSTRACTWe demonstrate nematic and cholesteric liquid crystal (LC) gyroids and show their photonic properties as photonic crystals by using numerical modelling. The LC gyroids are designed as composite optical materials, where we take one labyrinth of passages to be a solid dielectric, whereas the other (complementing) labyrinth of passages is taken to be filled by chiral or achiral nematic LC, with the intermediate gyroid surface imposing homeotropic (perpendicular) surface anchoring. The nematic inside the gyroid matrix is shown to exhibit a variety of possible orientational profiles which are characterised by complex networks of topological defects – from ordered, semi-ordered, to completely disordered. The diversity of possible nematic states is shown to lead to a rich structure of photonic bands, which can be tuned by the LC volume fraction and the cholesteric pitch, including control over full – direct and indirect – band gaps.

Quantum dot/liquid crystal composite materials: self-assembly driven by liquid crystal phase transition templating

The isotropic to nematic liquid crystal (LC) phase transition is used to create organized assemblies of CdSe/ZnS core/shell quantum dots (QDs). Under controlled conditions, well dispersed QDs are expelled from the ordered domains of nematic LC into the remaining isotropic domains. The final LC phase produces three dimensional QD assemblies that are situated at the defect points in the LC volume. Through the luminescence of the QDs we are able to track the movement of the nanoparticles as the phase is formed as well as spectrally probe the resulting QD assemblies. Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurements, combined with small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) data reveal that the QD assemblies have a consistent inter-particle spacing of approximately 7.6 nm. Additionally, the location of the assemblies is shown to be controllable by utilizing beads as defect nucleation points.

Liquid crystal pump

We report a dielectrically actuated liquid crystal (LC) pump. A small volume of LC forms a pillar-like droplet in a cylindrical hole which partially touches the bottom substrate with embedded interdigitated electrodes. By applying a voltage, the LC droplet can be largely stretched along the electrode direction by the generated dielectric force, which in turn exerts a pressure to displace a small volume of fluid on the opposite side of the chamber. Once the voltage is removed, the LC droplet returns to its initial state. The LC droplet with such a reciprocating movement behaves like a pump. In this work, the actuation mechanism of the LC pump is presented and the performance evaluated experimentally. Our LC pump has the following advantages: simple structure, easy fabrication, compact size, high precision, low power consumption, and relatively fast response time. It is promising for applications in lens actuators, biotechnology, drug delivery, and other lab-on-a-chip devices.

Annealing Effect on the Characteristics of Liquid Crystal Devices Containing Polymer Walls

In this paper, a novel method was proposed to fabricate a pure liquid crystal (LC) structure using the thermal annealing process, which successfully expel the residual monomers from the LC volume and considerably enhance optical properties of the polymer-wall LC devices. Using a series of experiments, the impact of annealing process on the purity of LC-rich domain and the electro-optic properties of a LC cell was evaluated. Based on the experimental results, the annealing technique is extremely potential for constructing the polymer wall LC cell in view of flexible display applications.

Study of the purifying affects of thermal annealing for polymer‐wall liquid crystal cells

The thermal annealing process was proposed to purify the pixel regions of a liquid crystal (LC) cell with polymer walls. This technique, based on thermal‐induced phase separation, successfully evicts the residual monomers from the LC volume and significantly improves electro‐optical properties of the polymer‐wall LC devices. The influence of the annealing process on the purity of LC‐rich domain and the electro‐optic properties of a LC cell was explored with a series of experiments. According to the experimental results, the annealing technique is extremely prospective for constructing flexible polymer‐wall LC display applications.

Effect of Network Elasticity on Nematic Liquid Crystal/Cross-Linked Polymer Phase Diagram

ABSTRACTThe influence of elasticity on the phase behavior of a mixture of nematic liquid crystal (LC) and in-situ cross-linked polymer has been investigated. Unlike the phase diagram of the LC/pre-cured polymer, the experimental diagram of LC/cross-linked polymer phase supported by theoretical calculation showed no critical point. Instead, the binodal curve exhibits an upward asymptotic behavior as the LC volume fraction approaches unity due to domination arising from network elasticity, particularly at high LC volume fraction. An examination of the effect of cross-links segment length and network functionality on the phase diagram of LC/cross-linked polymer showed that the segment length between cross-links exerts a greater influence.