Aggregation Properties of the Chromonic Liquid Crystal Benzopurpurin 4B

Orientational order of dyes in a lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal

Absorption measurements allow the orientational order parameter of four dyes in the lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal di-sodium cromoglycate (DSCG) to be determined. The dye order parameters are small, except for dyes that intercalate between the DSCG molecules of the rod-like assemblies. The dye order parameters decrease with increasing temperature faster than the nematic order parameter of the DSCG assemblies. For intercalating dyes, the measured dye order parameter varies with the wavelength of the measurement because both intercalated and non-intercalated dye molecules contribute. On the contrary, measurements of the dye order parameter using fluorescence are sensitive only to intercalated dye molecules and produce values that reflect the order parameter of the DSCG assemblies. Therefore, the temperature and concentration dependence of the DSCG order parameter is also explored, since data of this kind on this often-studied system are lacking. Finally, the association constant of one of the intercalating dyes with the DSCG assemblies is determined, yielding a value considerably less than what is found for the same dye with DNA.

Adsorption-Inhibition of Clathrate Hydrates by Self-Assembled Nanostructures

The mechanism by which safranine O (SFO), an ice growth inhibitor, halts the growth of single crystal tetrahydrofuran (THF) clathrate hydrates was explored using microfluidics coupled with cold stages and fluorescence microscopy. THF hydrates grown in SFO solutions exhibited morphology changes and were shaped as truncated octahedrons or hexagons. Fluorescence microscopy and microfluidics demonstrated that SFO binds to the surface of THF hydrates on specific crystal planes. Cryo-TEM experiments of aqueous solutions containing millimolar concentrations of SFO exhibited the formation of bilayered lamellae with an average thickness of 4.2±0.2 nm covering several μm² . Altogether, these results indicate that SFO forms supramolecular lamellae in solution, which might bind to the surface of the hydrate and inhibit further growth. As an ice and hydrate inhibitor, SFO may bind to the surface of these crystals via ordered water molecules near its amine and methyl groups, similar to some antifreeze proteins.

Atomistic simulation studies of ionic cyanine dyes: self-assembly and aggregate formation in aqueous solution

Cyanine dyes are known to form large-scale aggregates of various morphologies via spontaneous self-assembly in aqueous solution, akin to chromonic liquid crystals. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations have been performed on four cyanine dyes: pseudoisocyanine chloride (PIC), pinacyanol chloride (PCYN), 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethylbenzimidazolylcarbocyanine chloride (TTBC) and 1,1'-disulfopropyl-3,3'-diethyl-5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-benzimidazolylcarbocyanine sodium salt (BIC). Simulations employed an optimised general AMBER force field and demonstrate the organisation of the dyes into stacked structures at dilute concentrations. The thermodynamics of self-assembly was studied by calculating potentials of mean force for n-mers (n = 2, 3 or 4), from which the free energies of association are determined. We report binding free energies in the range of 8 to 15k_BT for dimerisation, concordant with typical values for ionic chromonics (7 to 14k_BT), and examine the enthalpic and entropic contributions to the aggregation process. The self-assembly of these dyes yields two distinct classes of structures. We observe the formation of H-aggregate stacks for PCYN, with further complexity in these assemblies for PIC; where the aggregates contain shift and Y junction defects. TTBC and BIC associate into a J-aggregate sheet structure of unimolecular thickness, and is composed of a brickwork arrangement between molecules. These sheet structures are characteristic of the smectic chromonic mesophase, and such assemblies provide a route to the emergence of nanoscale tubular architectures.

Interaction of supramolecular aggregates and the enhanced optical torque on the director in a dye doped nematic liquid crystal

There has been strong experimental evidence that molecules of some dyes in an anisotropic solvent, nematic liquid crystal, form aggregates. We present a detailed experimental analysis of the light-induced director reorientation (DR) in a dye-doped nematic liquid crystal (known as the Jánossy effect) and a theoretical model of its strong enhancement based on the aggregates' interaction. The DR transition is found to be very different from the Frederiks effect. If the light polarization is normal to the director, the transition is jump-like first order. Moreover, light polarization along the director also induces a DR which is a smooth second order transition with a very low threshold intensity. The theoretical model which explains these effects is based on the idea that dye molecules form rodlike supramolecular aggregates. The aggregates interact via the director distortions and their effective diameter gets certain field-dependence. As a result, the related entropy depletion depends on the light intensity and polarization and can be decreased by a certain DR along with the aggregate subsystem. This entropy gain is proportional to the square of light intensity which is a two-photon effect: the first resonance photon excites the dye molecule and the second photon polarizes the aggregate. This is in line with the experimental dependence of the critical intensity on the sample thickness. A special experiment shows that the effect is not connected with a possible heat-induced isotropic phase and hydrodynamic motion.

Liquid crystal templating as an approach to spatially and temporally organise soft matter

Liquid crystal templating: an emerging technique to organise and control soft matter at multiple length scales.

Initiatorless Photopolymerization of Liquid Crystal Monomers

Liquid crystal monomers are widely employed in industry to prepare optical compensating films as well as extend or enhance the properties of certain display modes. Because of the thermotropic nature of liquid crystalline materials, polymerization of liquid crystalline monomers (sometimes referred to as reactive mesogens) is often initiated by radical photoinitiation (photopolymerization) of (meth)acrylate functional groups. Here, we report on the initiatorless photopolymerization of commercially available liquid crystalline monomers upon exposure to 365 nm UV light. Initiatorless polymerization is employed to prepare thin films as well as polymer stabilizing networks in mixtures with low-molar-mass liquid crystals. EPR and FTIR confirm radical generation upon exposure to 365 nm light and conversion of the acrylate functional groups. A potential mechanism is proposed, informed by control experiments that indicate that the monomers undergo a type II Norrish mechanism. The initiatorless polymerization of the liquid crystalline monomers yield liquid crystalline polymer networks with mechanical properties that can be equal to those prepared with conventional radical photoinitiators. We demonstrate that initiatorless polymerization of display modes significantly increases the voltage holding ratio, which could result in a reduction in drive voltages in flat-panel televisions and hand-held devices, extending battery life and reducing power consumption.

Effect of long-range interactions on nanoparticle-induced aggregation

The process of attaching liquid media molecules to dispersed nanoparticles is studied by numerically investigating the time evolution of the size distribution of the emerging aggregates. Within the considered mechanism of aggregation, both the primary particles and the resulting aggregates are assumed to connect freely dispersing molecules, but the particles and aggregates are not allowed to self-link or self-assemble at each evolution stage of the system, due to, e.g., repulsive interactions. The process of random attachment of dispersing molecules to immersed nanoparticles and aggregates is considered to be driven by attractive long-range interactions of the van der Waals type. The molecule binding rate is, in consequence, modeled as being dependent not only on the size and surface morphology of the existing aggregates, but also on the van der Waals forces, whose strength is itself treated as dependent on the aggregate size. It is demonstrated that these forces diminish, in general, the inhomogeneity of aggregate size. Such an effect is shown to be especially distinct when the interaction strength is relatively large but does not increase as aggregates increase in size, i.e., when strongly attracted media molecules functionalize the resultant aggregates to prevent the increase of the interaction strength. This result can be helpful to construct stable complex substances containing aggregates with low size dispersion. Surprisingly, the evolution of aggregating systems toward more significant inhomogeneity takes place when the interaction strength is initially large and increases fast enough with the size of aggregates.

Imaging studies of temperature dependent photodegradation and self-healing in disperse orange 11 dye-doped polymers

Using confocal transmission imaging microscopy, we measure the temperature dependence of photodegradation and self-healing in disperse orange 11 (DO11) dye-doped (poly)methyl-methacrylate (PMMA) and polystyrene (PS). In both dye-doped polymers, an increase in sample temperature results in a greater photodegradation rate and degree of degradation, while also resulting in a slower recovery rate and larger recovery fraction. These results confirm the temperature dependence predictions of the modified correlated chromophore domain model (mCCDM) [B. R. Anderson and M. G. Kuzyk, Phys. Rev. E 89, 032601 (2014)]. Additionally, using quantitative fitting of the imaging data for DO11/PMMA, we determine the domain density parameter to be ρ = 1.19 (±0.25) × 10(-2) and the domain free energy advantage to be λ = 0.282 ± 0.015 eV, which are within the uncertainty of the values previously determined using amplified spontaneous emission as the probe method [S. K. Ramini et al., Polym. Chem. 4, 4948 (2013)]. Finally, while we find photodegradation and self-healing of DO11/PS to be qualitatively consistent with the mCCDM, we find that it is quantitatively incompatible with the mCCDM as recovery in DO11/PS is found to behave as a stretched (or double) exponential as a function of time.

Flexible and Patterned Thin Film Polarizer: Photopolymerization of Perylene-based Lyotropic Chromonic Reactive Mesogens

A perylene-based reactive mesogen (DAPDI) forming a lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal (LCLC) phase was newly designed and synthesized for the fabrication of macroscopically oriented and patterned thin film polarizer (TFP) on the flexible polymer substrates. The anisotropic optical property and molecular self-assembly of DAPDI were investigated by the combination of microscopic, scattering and spectroscopic techniques. The main driving forces of molecular self-assembly were the face-to-face π-π intermolecular interaction among aromatic cores and the nanophase separation between hydrophilic ionic groups and hydrophobic aromatic cores. Degree of polarization for the macroscopically oriented and photopolymerized DAPDI TFP was estimated to be 99.81% at the λmax = 491 nm. After mechanically shearing the DAPDI LCLC aqueous solution on the flexible polymer substrates, we successfully fabricated the patterned DAPDI TFP by etching the unpolymerized regions selectively blocked by a photomask during the photopolymerization process. Chemical and mechanical stabilities were confirmed by the solvent and pencil hardness tests, and its surface morphology was further investigated by optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and three-dimensional surface nanoprofiler. The flexible and patterned DAPDI TFP with robust chemical and mechanical stabilities can be a stepping stone for the advanced flexible optoelectronic devices.

Self-Assembly and Formation of Chromonic Liquid Crystals from the Dyes Quinaldine Red Acetate and Pyronin Y

The aqueous self-assembly behavior of the dyes Quinaldine red acetate and Pyronin Y in a wide range of concentrations is reported here for the first time. (1)H NMR spectroscopy, polarized-light optical microscopy, and small and wide X-ray scattering were used to get insight into molecular interactions, phase boundaries and aggregate structure. Quinaldine red acetate and Pyronin Y self-organize into unimolecular stacks driven by attractive aromatic interactions. At high concentrations, spatial correlation among the molecular stacks gives rise to nematic liquid crystals in both systems. Quinaldine red acetate additionally produces a rare chromonic O phase built of columnar aggregates with anisotropic cross-section ordered in a rectangular lattice. The O phase changes into a columnar lamellar structure as a result of a temperature-induced phase transition. Results open the possibility of finding chromonic liquid crystals in other commercially available dyes with a similar molecular structure. This would eventually expand the availability of these unique soft materials and thus introduce new applications for marketed dyes.

Kinetics of aggregation in liquids with dispersed nanoparticles

The process of attaching molecules of liquid media by dispersed nanoparticles is modeled and numerically studied. The growth rate of the resulting nanoparticle-induced aggregates is determined by assuming the preferential attachment rule according to which the effectiveness of the connection of a new molecular unit to aggregates is determined by their size. It is shown that, depending on a specific functional form of the growth rate, the size distribution of aggregates can display very different shapes, including various multimodal structures. This can explain experimentally obtained complex size distributions of inhomogeneous aggregates appearing as a consequence of the adsorption of molecules by nanoparticles or as a consequence of the self-assembling of active dispersants on surfaces of nanoparticles. The time evolution and the stationarity of the size distribution are also analyzed, gaining an insight into the long-time behavior of systems with dispersed nanoparticles.

Thermodynamics of the self-assembly of non-ionic chromonic molecules using atomistic simulations. The case of TP6EO2M in aqueous solution

Atomistic molecular dynamic simulations have been performed for the non-ionic chromonic liquid crystal 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexa-(1,4,7-trioxa-octyl)-triphenylene (TP6EO2M) in aqueous solution. TP6EO2M molecules consist of a central poly-aromatic core (a triphenylene ring) functionalized by six hydrophilic ethyleneoxy (EO) chains, and have a strong tendency to aggregate face-to-face into stacks even in very dilute solution. We have studied self-assembly of the molecules in the low concentration range corresponding to an isotropic solution of aggregates, using two force fields GAFF and OPLS. Our results reveal that the GAFF force field, even though it was successfully used previously for modelling of ionic chromonics, overestimates the attraction of TP6EO2M molecules in water. This results in an aggregation free energy which is too high, a reduced hydration of EO chains and, therefore, molecular self-assembly into compact disordered clusters instead of stacks. In contrast, use of the OPLS force field, leads to self-assembly into ordered stacks in agreement with earlier experimental studies of triphenylene-based chromonics. The free energy of association follows a "quasi-isodesmic" pattern, where the binding free energy of two molecules to form a dimer is of the order of 2.5 RT larger than the corresponding energy of addition of a molecule into a stack. The obtained value for the binding free energy, ΔG=-12 RT, is found to be in line with the published values for typical ionic chromonics (-7 to -12 RT), and agrees reasonably well with the experimental results for this system. The calculated interlayer distance between the molecules in a stack is 0.37 nm, which is at the top of the range found for typical chromonics (0.33-0.37 nm). We suggest that the relatively large layer spacing can be attributed to the repulsion between EO side chains.

Deriving binary phase diagrams for chromonic materials in water mixtures via fluorescence spectroscopy: cromolyn and water

We report here the first example of a new and novel method of determining the binary temperature–composition phase diagram of a chromonic material in water using its intrinsic fluorescence.

Cooperativity of the assembly process in a low concentration chromonic liquid crystal

IR-806 is a near-infrared cyanine dye that undergoes a two-step assembly process in aqueous solutions. The final assemblies orientationally order into a liquid crystal at a very low concentration (∼0.6 wt % at room temperature). While the first step of the assembly process is continuous as the dye concentration or temperature is varied (isodesmic), the second step is more abrupt (cooperative). Because the absorption spectrum of IR-806 changes dramatically during the assembly process, careful equilibrium and kinetic absorption experiments are utilized to examine the details of the cooperative second step. These experiments involve changes in both concentration and temperature, allowing a close thermodynamic analysis of the assembly process. Both equilibrium and kinetic investigations reveal that the assembly process is highly cooperative and can be described by multiple models (for example, nucleation and growth) in the highly cooperative limit. The enthalpy associated with the growth process and the activation energy of the rate-limiting step during disassembly are determined. These findings have significant implications for the structure of the assemblies that form the liquid crystal phase in IR-806.

Homeotropic alignment of lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals using noncovalent interactions

We report on the homeotropic alignment of lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals (LCLCs). Homeotropic anchoring of LCLCs is difficult to achieve, and this challenge has limited development of applications for LCLCs. In this work, homeotropic alignment is achieved using noncovalent interactions between the LCLC molecules and various alignment layers including graphene, parylene films, poly(methyl methacrylate) films, and fluoropolymer films. The LCLC molecules are unique in that they self-assemble via noncovalent interactions in water into elongated aggregates which, in turn, form nematic and columnar liquid crystal (LC) phases. Here we exploit these same noncovalent interactions to induce homeotropic anchoring of the nematic LCLC. Homeotropic alignment is confirmed by polarized optical microscopy and conoscopy. We also report on novel transient stripe textures that occur when an initial flow-induced planar alignment transforms into the equilibrium homeotropic alignment required by boundary conditions. An understanding of this behavior could be important for switching applications.

Generalizing the correlated chromophore domain model of reversible photodegradation to include the effects of an applied electric field

All observations of photodegradation and self-healing follow the predictions of the correlated chromophore domain model [Ramini et al., Polym. Chem. 4, 4948 (2013)]. In the present work, we generalize the domain model to describe the effects of an electric field by including induced dipole interactions between molecules in a domain by means of a self-consistent field approach. This electric field correction is added to the statistical mechanical model to calculate the distribution of domains that are central to healing. Also included in the model are the dynamics due to the formation of an irreversibly damaged species, which we propose involves damage to the polymer mediated through energy transfer from a dopant molecule after absorbing a photon. As in previous studies, the model with one-dimensional domains best explains all experimental data of the population as a function of time, temperature, intensity, concentration, and now applied electric field. Though the precise nature of a domain is yet to be determined, the fact that only one-dimensional domain models are consistent with observations suggests that they might be made of correlated dye molecules along polymer chains. Furthermore, the voltage-dependent measurements suggest that the largest polarizability axis of the molecules are oriented perpendicular to the chain.