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Kołodziej G, Szostak S, Tomczyk E, Wójcik M. Tuneable Plasmonic Resonances Of A Dynamic Thin Film Of Ultrasmall Nanocrystals Modified In the Anti-Galvanic Reduction Process. Chemistry 2023; 29:e202301843. [PMID: 37642228 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202301843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Ultrasmall gold nanoparticles (NPs) have revolutionized nanotechnology as they are an excellent starting substrate for the synthesis of organic-inorganic hybrid materials with photonic or energy conversion applications, often with a responsive nature. However, ultrasmall NPs do not sustain plasmonic resonances, preventing their use in plasmon-related applications. In the presented work, we show a method of chemical modification of ultrasmall gold nanoparticles in order to fabricate dynamically controlled plasmonic thin films. For this purpose, we used the Anti-Galvanic Reduction process (AGR) to modify the surface of small gold nanoparticles, inducing plasmonic properties without notable size increases. Au@Ag NPs are then modified with liquid crystal-like organic ligands. The obtained NPs can assemble into densely packed films with long-range order and temperature-dependent structural properties. Namely, we detect two, fully reversible phase transitions between the hexagonal and cubic symmetries. The combination of AGR and organic surface modifications enabled us to demonstrate the possibility of managing plasmonic properties in the thin film of ~2 nm diameter metallic NPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grzegorz Kołodziej
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1, 02-093, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Szymon Szostak
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1, 02-093, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ewelina Tomczyk
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1, 02-093, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Michał Wójcik
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1, 02-093, Warsaw, Poland
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2
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Jańczuk ZZ, Jedrych A, Parzyszek S, Gardias A, Szczytko J, Wojcik M. Dynamically Tunable Assemblies of Superparamagnetic Nanoparticles Stabilized with Liquid Crystal-like Ligands in Organic Thin Films. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2023; 13:2908. [PMID: 37947752 PMCID: PMC10648093 DOI: 10.3390/nano13212908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
The process of arranging magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) into long-range structures that can be dynamically and reversibly controlled is challenging, although interesting for emerging spintronic applications. Here, we report composites of MNPs in excess of LC-like ligands as promising materials for MNP-based technologies. The organic part ensures the assembly of MNP into long-range ordered phases as well as precise and temperature-reversible control over the arrangement. The dynamic changes are fully reversible, which we confirm using X-ray diffraction (XRD). This methodology allows for the precise control of the nanomaterial's structure in a thin film at different temperatures, translating to variable unit cell parameters. The composition of the materials (XPS, TGA), their structure (XRD), and magnetic properties (SQUID) were performed. Overall, this study confirms that LC-like materials provide the ability to dynamically control the magnetic nanoparticles in thin films, particularly the reversible control of their self-organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzanna Z. Jańczuk
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, 1 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (Z.Z.J.); (A.J.); (S.P.)
| | - Agnieszka Jedrych
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, 1 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (Z.Z.J.); (A.J.); (S.P.)
| | - Sylwia Parzyszek
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, 1 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (Z.Z.J.); (A.J.); (S.P.)
| | - Anita Gardias
- Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, 5 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.G.); (J.S.)
| | - Jacek Szczytko
- Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, 5 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.G.); (J.S.)
| | - Michal Wojcik
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, 1 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (Z.Z.J.); (A.J.); (S.P.)
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Jeridi H, Niyonzima JDD, Sakr C, Missaoui A, Shahini S, Vlad A, Coati A, Goubet N, Royer S, Vickridge I, Goldmann M, Constantin D, Garreau Y, Babonneau D, Croset B, Gallas B, Lhuillier E, Lacaze E. Unique orientation of 1D and 2D nanoparticle assemblies confined in smectic topological defects. Soft Matter 2022; 18:4792-4802. [PMID: 35708225 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00376g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
New collective optical properties have emerged recently from organized and oriented arrays of closely packed semiconducting and metallic nanoparticles (NPs). However, it is still challenging to obtain NP assemblies which are similar everywhere on a given sample and, most importantly, share a unique common orientation that would guarantee a unique behavior everywhere on the sample. In this context, by combining optical microscopy, fluorescence microscopy and synchrotron-based grazing incidence X-ray scattering (GISAXS) of assemblies of gold nanospheres and of fluorescent nanorods, we study the interactions between NPs and liquid crystal smectic topological defects that can ultimately lead to unique NP orientations. We demonstrate that arrays of one-dimensional - 1D (dislocations) and two-dimensional - 2D (grain boundaries) topological defects oriented along one single direction confine and organize NPs in closely packed networks but also orient both single nanorods and NP networks along the same direction. Through the comparison between smectic films associated with different kinds of topological defects, we highlight that the coupling between the NP ligands and the smectic layers below the grain boundaries may be necessary to allow for fixed NP orientation. This is in contrast with 1D defects, where the induced orientation of the NPs is intrinsically induced by the confinement independently of the ligand nature. We thus succeeded in achieving the fixed polarization of assemblies of single photon emitters in defects. For gold nanospheres confined in grain boundaries, a strict orientation of hexagonal networks has been obtained with the 〈10〉 direction strictly parallel to the defects. With such closely packed and oriented NPs, new collective properties are now foreseen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haifa Jeridi
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut des Nano-Sciences de Paris (INSP), F-75005 Paris, France.
- OMNES Education Research Center, ECE Paris, 37 Quai de Grenelle, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Jean de Dieu Niyonzima
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut des Nano-Sciences de Paris (INSP), F-75005 Paris, France.
- Physics department, School of Science, College of Science and Technology, University of Rwanda, Po. Box: 3900, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Charbel Sakr
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut des Nano-Sciences de Paris (INSP), F-75005 Paris, France.
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), Grenoble, France
| | - Amine Missaoui
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut des Nano-Sciences de Paris (INSP), F-75005 Paris, France.
| | - Sharif Shahini
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut des Nano-Sciences de Paris (INSP), F-75005 Paris, France.
- Department of Physics and Materials Science, University of Luxembourg, 162a, Avenue de la Faencerie, L-1511, Luxembourg
| | - Alina Vlad
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, BP 48, L'Orme des Merisiers, 91192 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Alessandro Coati
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, BP 48, L'Orme des Merisiers, 91192 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Nicolas Goubet
- CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Laboratoire de la Molécule aux Nano-objets; Réactivité, Interactions et Spectroscopies MONARIS, 4 Pl Jussieu, Case Co, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Sébastien Royer
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut des Nano-Sciences de Paris (INSP), F-75005 Paris, France.
| | - Ian Vickridge
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut des Nano-Sciences de Paris (INSP), F-75005 Paris, France.
| | - Michel Goldmann
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut des Nano-Sciences de Paris (INSP), F-75005 Paris, France.
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, BP 48, L'Orme des Merisiers, 91192 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Doru Constantin
- Université de Strasbourg, Institut Charles Sadron, CNRS UPR022, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex, France
| | - Yves Garreau
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, BP 48, L'Orme des Merisiers, 91192 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France
- Université Paris Cité, Laboratoire Matériaux et Phénomènes Quantiques, CNRS, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - David Babonneau
- Departement Physique et Mecanique des Materiaux, Institut P', UPR 3346 CNRS, Université de Poitiers SP2MI, TSA 41123, 86073 Poitiers cedex 9, France
| | - Bernard Croset
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut des Nano-Sciences de Paris (INSP), F-75005 Paris, France.
| | - Bruno Gallas
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut des Nano-Sciences de Paris (INSP), F-75005 Paris, France.
| | - Emmanuel Lhuillier
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut des Nano-Sciences de Paris (INSP), F-75005 Paris, France.
| | - Emmanuelle Lacaze
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut des Nano-Sciences de Paris (INSP), F-75005 Paris, France.
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Mai Z, Yuan Y, Tai JB, Senyuk B, Liu B, Li H, Wang Y, Zhou G, Smalyukh II. Nematic Order, Plasmonic Switching and Self-Patterning of Colloidal Gold Bipyramids. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2021; 8:e2102854. [PMID: 34541830 PMCID: PMC8596134 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202102854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Dispersing inorganic colloidal nanoparticles within nematic liquid crystals provides a versatile platform both for forming new soft matter phases and for predefining physical behavior through mesoscale molecular-colloidal self-organization. However, owing to formation of particle-induced singular defects and complex elasticity-mediated interactions, this approach has been implemented mainly just for colloidal nanorods and nanoplatelets, limiting its potential technological utility. Here, orientationally ordered nematic colloidal dispersions are reported of pentagonal gold bipyramids that exhibit narrow but controlled polarization-dependent surface plasmon resonance spectra and facile electric switching. Bipyramids tend to orient with their C5 rotation symmetry axes along the nematic director, exhibiting spatially homogeneous density within aligned samples. Topological solitons, like heliknotons, allow for spatial reorganization of these nanoparticles according to elastic free energy density within their micrometer-scale structures. With the nanoparticle orientations slaved to the nematic director and being switched by low voltages ≈1 V within a fraction of a second, these plasmonic composite materials are of interest for technological uses like color filters and plasmonic polarizers, as well as may lead to the development of unusual nematic phases, like pentatic liquid crystals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijian Mai
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Information Materials and TechnologyNational Center for International Research on Green OptoelectronicsInstitute of Electronic Paper DisplaysSouth China Academy of Advanced OptoelectronicsSouth China Normal UniversityGuangzhou510006P. R. China
- Department of Physics and Soft Materials Research CenterUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCO80309USA
| | - Ye Yuan
- Department of Physics and Soft Materials Research CenterUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCO80309USA
| | - Jung‐Shen B. Tai
- Department of Physics and Soft Materials Research CenterUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCO80309USA
| | - Bohdan Senyuk
- Department of Physics and Soft Materials Research CenterUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCO80309USA
| | - Bing Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Information Materials and TechnologyNational Center for International Research on Green OptoelectronicsInstitute of Electronic Paper DisplaysSouth China Academy of Advanced OptoelectronicsSouth China Normal UniversityGuangzhou510006P. R. China
| | - Hao Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Information Materials and TechnologyNational Center for International Research on Green OptoelectronicsInstitute of Electronic Paper DisplaysSouth China Academy of Advanced OptoelectronicsSouth China Normal UniversityGuangzhou510006P. R. China
| | - Yao Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Information Materials and TechnologyNational Center for International Research on Green OptoelectronicsInstitute of Electronic Paper DisplaysSouth China Academy of Advanced OptoelectronicsSouth China Normal UniversityGuangzhou510006P. R. China
| | - Guofu Zhou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Information Materials and TechnologyNational Center for International Research on Green OptoelectronicsInstitute of Electronic Paper DisplaysSouth China Academy of Advanced OptoelectronicsSouth China Normal UniversityGuangzhou510006P. R. China
| | - Ivan I. Smalyukh
- Department of Physics and Soft Materials Research CenterUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCO80309USA
- Materials Science and Engineering ProgramDepartment of Electrical, Computer and Energy EngineeringUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCO80309USA
- Renewable and Sustainable Energy InstituteNational Renewable Energy Laboratory and University of ColoradoBoulderCO80309USA
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Zappone B, Mamuk AE, Gryn I, Arima V, Zizzari A, Bartolino R, Lacaze E, Petschek R. Analogy between periodic patterns in thin smectic liquid crystal films and the intermediate state of superconductors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:17643-9. [PMID: 32661146 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2000849117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Spontaneous breaking of symmetry in liquid crystal (LC) films often reveals itself as a microscopic pattern of molecular alignment. In a smectic-A LC, the emergence of positional order at the transition from the nematic phase leads to periodic textures that can be used as optical microarrays, templates for soft lithography, and ordering matrices for the organization and manipulation of functional nanoparticles. While both 1d and 2d patterns have been obtained as a function of the LC film thickness and applied fields, the connection has not been made between pattern formation and the peculiar critical behavior of LCs at the nematic-smectic transition, still eluding a comprehensive theoretical explanation. In this article, we demonstrate that an intense bend distortion applied to the LC molecular director while cooling from the nematic phase produces a frustrated smectic phase with depressed transition temperature, and the characteristic 1d periodic texture previously observed in thin films and under applied electric fields. In light of De Gennes' analogy with the normal-superconductor transition of a metal, we identify the 1d texture as the equivalent of the intermediate state in type I superconductors. The bend distortion is analog to the magnetic field in metals and penetrates in the frustrated phase as an array of undercooled nematic domains, periodically intermixed with bend-free smectic-A domains. Our findings provide fundamental evidence for theories of the nematic-smectic transition, highlighting the deep connection between phase frustration and pattern formation, and perspectives on the design of functional smectic microarrays.
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Abstract
Cholesteric liquid crystals can exhibit spatial patterns in molecular alignment at interfaces that can be exploited for particle assembly. These patterns emerge from the competition between bulk and surface energies, tunable with the system geometry. In this work, we use the osmotic swelling of cholesteric double emulsions to assemble colloidal particles through a pathway-dependent process. Particles can be repositioned from a surface-mediated to an elasticity-mediated state through dynamically thinning the cholesteric shell at a rate comparable to that of colloidal adsorption. By tuning the balance between surface and bulk energies with the system geometry, colloidal assemblies on the cholesteric interface can be molded by the underlying elastic field to form linear aggregates. The transition of adsorbed particles from surface regions with homeotropic anchoring to defect regions is accompanied by a reduction in particle mobility. The arrested assemblies subsequently map out and stabilize topological defects. These results demonstrate the kinetic arrest of interfacial particles within definable patterns by regulating the energetic frustration within cholesterics. This work highlights the importance of kinetic pathways for particle assembly in liquid crystals, of relevance to optical and energy applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Tran
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York New York 10027, United States
| | - Kyle J M Bishop
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York New York 10027, United States
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Do SP, Missaoui A, Coati A, Coursault D, Jeridi H, Resta A, Goubet N, Wojcik MM, Choux A, Royer S, Briand E, Donnio B, Gallani JL, Pansu B, Lhuillier E, Garreau Y, Babonneau D, Goldmann M, Constantin D, Gallas B, Croset B, Lacaze E. From Chains to Monolayers: Nanoparticle Assembly Driven by Smectic Topological Defects. Nano Lett 2020; 20:1598-1606. [PMID: 31951415 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b04347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In this Letter, we show how advanced hierarchical structures of topological defects in the so-called smectic oily streaks can be used to sequentially transfer their geometrical features to gold nanospheres. We use two kinds of topological defects, 1D dislocations and 2D ribbon-like topological defects. The large trapping efficiency of the smectic dislocation cores not only surpasses that of the elastically distorted zones around the cores but also surpasses the one of the 2D ribbon-like topological defect. This enables the formation of a large number of aligned NP chains within the dislocation cores that can be quasi-fully filled without any significant aggregation outside of the cores. When the NP concentration is large enough to entirely fill the dislocation cores, the LC confinement varies from 1D to 2D. We demonstrate that the 2D topological defect cores induce a confinement that leads to planar hexagonal networks of NPs. We then draw the phase diagram driven by NP concentration, associated with the sequential confinements induced by these two kinds of topological defects. Owing to the excellent large-scale order of these defect cores, not only the NP chains but also the NP hexagonal networks can be oriented along the desired direction, suggesting a possible new route for the creation of either 1D or 2D highly anisotropic NP networks. In addition, these results open rich perspectives based on the possible creation of coexisting NP assemblies of different kinds, localized in different confining areas of a same smectic film that would thus interact thanks to their proximity but also would interact via the surrounding soft matter matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syou-P'heng Do
- Sorbonne Université, Faculté des Sciences, CNRS, Institut des Nano-Sciences de Paris (INSP), 4 pl Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Amine Missaoui
- Sorbonne Université, Faculté des Sciences, CNRS, Institut des Nano-Sciences de Paris (INSP), 4 pl Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Alessandro Coati
- Synchrotron Soleil, BP 48, L'Orme des Merisiers, 91192 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France
| | | | - Haifa Jeridi
- Sorbonne Université, Faculté des Sciences, CNRS, Institut des Nano-Sciences de Paris (INSP), 4 pl Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Andrea Resta
- Synchrotron Soleil, BP 48, L'Orme des Merisiers, 91192 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Nicolas Goubet
- Sorbonne Université, Faculté des Sciences, CNRS, Institut des Nano-Sciences de Paris (INSP), 4 pl Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Michal M Wojcik
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Arnaud Choux
- Sorbonne Université, Faculté des Sciences, CNRS, Institut des Nano-Sciences de Paris (INSP), 4 pl Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Sébastien Royer
- Sorbonne Université, Faculté des Sciences, CNRS, Institut des Nano-Sciences de Paris (INSP), 4 pl Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Emrick Briand
- Sorbonne Université, Faculté des Sciences, CNRS, Institut des Nano-Sciences de Paris (INSP), 4 pl Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Bertrand Donnio
- Institut de Physique et de Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg (IPCMS), UMR 7504, CNRS-Université de Strasbourg, BP 43, 23 rue du Loess, F-67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France
| | - Jean Louis Gallani
- Institut de Physique et de Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg (IPCMS), UMR 7504, CNRS-Université de Strasbourg, BP 43, 23 rue du Loess, F-67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France
| | - Brigitte Pansu
- Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Bat. 510, UMR-CNRS 8502, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405 Orsay, France
| | - Emmanuel Lhuillier
- Sorbonne Université, Faculté des Sciences, CNRS, Institut des Nano-Sciences de Paris (INSP), 4 pl Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Yves Garreau
- Synchrotron Soleil, BP 48, L'Orme des Merisiers, 91192 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France
- Université de Paris, Laboratoire Matériaux et Phénomènes Quantiques, CNRS, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - David Babonneau
- Institut Pprime, Département Physique et Mécanique des Matériaux, UPR 3346 CNRS, Université de Poitiers, SP2MI, TSA 41123, 86073 Poitiers Cedex 9, France
| | - Michel Goldmann
- Sorbonne Université, Faculté des Sciences, CNRS, Institut des Nano-Sciences de Paris (INSP), 4 pl Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
- Synchrotron Soleil, BP 48, L'Orme des Merisiers, 91192 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Doru Constantin
- Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Bat. 510, UMR-CNRS 8502, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405 Orsay, France
| | - Bruno Gallas
- Sorbonne Université, Faculté des Sciences, CNRS, Institut des Nano-Sciences de Paris (INSP), 4 pl Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Bernard Croset
- Sorbonne Université, Faculté des Sciences, CNRS, Institut des Nano-Sciences de Paris (INSP), 4 pl Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Emmanuelle Lacaze
- Sorbonne Université, Faculté des Sciences, CNRS, Institut des Nano-Sciences de Paris (INSP), 4 pl Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
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Ma LL, Wu SB, Hu W, Liu C, Chen P, Qian H, Wang Y, Chi L, Lu YQ. Self-Assembled Asymmetric Microlenses for Four-Dimensional Visual Imaging. ACS Nano 2019; 13:13709-13715. [PMID: 31746201 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.9b07104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Visual imaging that can extract three-dimensional (3D) space or polarization information on the target is essential in broad sciences and technologies. The simultaneous acquisition of them usually demands expensive equipment and sophisticated operations. Therefore, it is of great significance to exploit convenient approaches for four-dimensional (3D and polarization) visual imaging. Here, we present an efficient solution based on self-assembled asymmetric liquid crystal microlenses, with freely manipulated phase profiles and symmetry-breaking properties. Accordingly, characteristics of multifocal functionality and polarization selectivity are exhibited, along with the underlying mechanisms. Moreover, with a specific sample featured by radially increased unit sizes and azimuthally varied domain orientations, the discriminability of four-dimensional information is extracted in a single snapshot, via referring to the coordinates of the clearest images. Demultiplexing of depth/polarization information is also demonstrated. This work will unlock a variety of revolutionary apparatuses and lighten extensive applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling-Ling Ma
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures , Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093 , China
| | - Sai-Bo Wu
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures , Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093 , China
- Institute for Smart Liquid Crystals , JITRI , Changshu 215500 , China
| | - Wei Hu
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures , Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093 , China
- Institute for Smart Liquid Crystals , JITRI , Changshu 215500 , China
| | - Chao Liu
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures , Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093 , China
| | - Peng Chen
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures , Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093 , China
- Institute for Smart Liquid Crystals , JITRI , Changshu 215500 , China
| | - Hao Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Materials Science and Engineering , Nanjing Tech University , Nanjing 210009 , China
| | - Yandong Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM) , Soochow University , Suzhou 215123 , China
| | - Lifeng Chi
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM) , Soochow University , Suzhou 215123 , China
| | - Yan-Qing Lu
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures , Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093 , China
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Orlova T, Plamont R, Depauw A, Katsonis N. Dynamic Spirals of Nanoparticles in Light-Responsive Polygonal Fields. Small 2019; 15:e1902419. [PMID: 31389175 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201902419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2019] [Revised: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Nanoparticles tend to aggregate once integrated into soft matter and consequently, self-assembling nanoparticles into large-scale, regular, well-defined, and ultimately chiral patterns remains an ongoing challenge toward the design and realization of organized superstructures of nanoparticles. The patterns of nanoparticles that are reported in liquid crystals so far are all static, and this lack of responsiveness extends to assemblies of nanoparticles formed in topological singularities and other localized structures of anisotropic matter. Here, it is shown that gold nanoparticles form spiral superstructures in polygonal fields of cholesteric liquid crystals. Moreover, when the cholesteric liquid crystals incorporate molecular photoswitches in their composition, the pitch of the nanoparticulate spirals follows the light-induced reorganization of the cholesteric liquid crystals. These experimental findings indicate that chiral liquid crystals can be used as chiral and dynamic templates for soft photonic nanomaterials. Controlling the geometry of these spirals of nanoparticles will ultimately allow modulating the plasmonic signature of hybrid and chiral systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetiana Orlova
- Bio-inspired and Smart Materials, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, 7500 AE, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Rémi Plamont
- Bio-inspired and Smart Materials, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, 7500 AE, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Alexis Depauw
- Bio-inspired and Smart Materials, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, 7500 AE, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Nathalie Katsonis
- Bio-inspired and Smart Materials, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, 7500 AE, Enschede, The Netherlands
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Tomczyk E, Promiński A, Bagiński M, Górecka E, Wójcik M. Gold Nanoparticles Thin Films with Thermo- and Photoresponsive Plasmonic Properties Realized with Liquid-Crystalline Ligands. Small 2019; 15:e1902807. [PMID: 31348618 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201902807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Revised: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Robust synthesis of large-scale self-assembled nanostructures with long-range organization and a prominent response to external stimuli is critical to their application in functional plasmonics. Here, the first example of a material made of liquid crystalline nanoparticles which exhibits UV-light responsive surface plasmon resonance in a condensed state is presented. To obtain the material, metal cores are grafted with two types of organic ligands. A promesogenic derivative softens the system and induces rich liquid crystal phase polymorphism. Second, an azobenzene derivative endows nanoparticles with photoresponsive properties. It is shown that nanoparticles covered with a mixture of these ligands assemble into long-range ordered structures which exhibit a novel dual-responsivity. The structure and plasmonic properties of the assemblies can be controlled by a change in temperature as well as by UV-light irradiation. These results present an efficient way to obtain bulk quantities of self-assembled nanostructured materials with stability that is unattainable by alternative methods such as matrix-assisted or DNA-mediated organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewelina Tomczyk
- Laboratory of Organic Nanomaterials and Biomolecules, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1 Street, 02-093, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Aleksander Promiński
- Laboratory of Organic Nanomaterials and Biomolecules, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1 Street, 02-093, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maciej Bagiński
- Laboratory of Organic Nanomaterials and Biomolecules, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1 Street, 02-093, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ewa Górecka
- Laboratory of Physicochemistry of Dielectrics and Magnetics, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, wirki i Wigury 101 Street, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Michał Wójcik
- Laboratory of Organic Nanomaterials and Biomolecules, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1 Street, 02-093, Warsaw, Poland
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11
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Abstract
The research field of liquid crystals and their applications is recently changing from being largely focused on display applications and optical shutter elements in various fields, to quite novel and diverse applications in the area of nanotechnology and nanoscience. Functional nanoparticles have recently been used to a significant extent to modify the physical properties of liquid crystals by the addition of ferroelectric and magnetic particles of different shapes, such as arbitrary and spherical, rods, wires and discs. Also, particles influencing optical properties are increasingly popular, such as quantum dots, plasmonic, semiconductors and metamaterials. The self-organization of liquid crystals is exploited to order templates and orient nanoparticles. Similarly, nanoparticles such as rods, nanotubes and graphene oxide are shown to form lyotropic liquid crystal phases in the presence of isotropic host solvents. These effects lead to a wealth of novel applications, many of which will be reviewed in this publication.
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12
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Atzin N, Guzmán O, Gutiérrez O, Hirst LS, Ghosh S. Free-energy model for nanoparticle self-assembly by liquid crystal sorting. Phys Rev E 2018; 97:062704. [PMID: 30011549 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.97.062704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We modeled the experimentally observed self-assembly of nanoparticles (NPs) into shells with diameters up to 10 μm, via segregation from growing nematic domains. Using field-based Monte Carlo simulations, we found the equilibrium configurations of the system by minimizing a free-energy functional that includes effects of excluded-volume interactions among NPs, orientational elasticity, and the isotropic-nematic phase-transition energy. We developed a Gaussian-profile approximation for the liquid crystal (LC) order-parameter field that provides accurate analytical values for the free energy of LC droplets and the associated microshells. This analytical model reveals a first-order transition between equilibrium states with and without microshells, governed mainly by the competition of excluded-volume and phase-transition energies. By contrast, the LC elasticity effects are much smaller and mostly confined to setting the size of the activation barrier for the transition. In conclusion, field-based thermodynamic methods provide a theoretical framework for the self-assembly of NP shells in liquid crystal hosts and suggest that field-based kinetic methods could be useful to simulate and model the time evolution of NP self-assembly coupled to phase separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noé Atzin
- Departamento de Física, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Av. San Rafael Atlixco 186, Iztapalapa, Ciudad de México, 09340, México
| | - Orlando Guzmán
- Departamento de Física, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Av. San Rafael Atlixco 186, Iztapalapa, Ciudad de México, 09340, México
| | - Oscar Gutiérrez
- Departamento de Física, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Av. San Rafael Atlixco 186, Iztapalapa, Ciudad de México, 09340, México
| | - Linda S Hirst
- School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, California 95343, USA
| | - Sayantani Ghosh
- School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, California 95343, USA
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13
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Nemitz IR, Gryn I, Boudet N, Lemieux RP, Goldmann M, Zappone B, Petschek RG, Rosenblatt C, Lacaze E. Observations of a streak texture in the hybrid-aligned smectic-C phase. Soft Matter 2018; 14:460-469. [PMID: 29214250 DOI: 10.1039/c7sm02129a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
A novel structure was observed below the smectic-A-smectic-C phase transition in a very thin open cell having an air interface above and enforced planar anchoring at the substrate below. The structure appears as periodic dark and light streaks running perpendicular to the oily streaks, which are present in the smectic-A phase [D. Coursault et al., Soft Matter, 2016, 12, 678]. These new streaks, which we call "soapy streaks", form by extending from one oily streak to the next in discrete steps, eliminating optical evidence at visible wavelengths of the oily streaks. At lower temperatures the streaks can undulate and exhibit a sawtooth-like structure; such a structure is chiral in two dimensions. A possible scenario for the origin of these streaks is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- I R Nemitz
- Dept. of Physics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA.
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14
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Gharbi I, Missaoui A, Demaille D, Lacaze E, Rosenblatt C. Persistence of Smectic-A Oily Streaks into the Nematic Phase by UV Irradiation of Reactive Mesogens. Crystals 2017; 7:358. [DOI: 10.3390/cryst7120358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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15
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Sasaki Y, Ueda M, Le KV, Amano R, Sakane S, Fujii S, Araoka F, Orihara H. Polymer-Stabilized Micropixelated Liquid Crystals with Tunable Optical Properties Fabricated by Double Templating. Adv Mater 2017; 29:1703054. [PMID: 28758707 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201703054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Self-organized nano- and microstructures of soft materials are attracting considerable attention because most of them are stimuli-responsive due to their soft nature. In this regard, topological defects in liquid crystals (LCs) are promising not only for self-assembling colloids and molecules but also for electro-optical applications such as optical vortex generation. However, there are currently few bottom-up methods for patterning a large number of defects periodically over a large area. It would be highly desirable to develop more effective techniques for high-throughput and low-cost fabrication. Here, a micropixelated LC structure consisting of a square array of topological defects is stabilized by photopolymerization. A polymer network is formed on the structure of a self-organized template of a nematic liquid crystal (NLC), and this in turn imprints other nonpolymerizable NLC molecules, which maintains their responses to electric field and temperature. Photocuring of specific local regions is used to create a designable template for the reproducible self-organization of defects. Moreover, a highly diluted polymer network (≈0.1 wt% monomer) exhibits instant on-off switching of the patterns. Beyond the mere stabilization of patterns, these results demonstrate that the incorporation of self-organized NLC patterns offers some unique and unconventional applications for anisotropic polymer networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuji Sasaki
- Division of Applied Physics, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, North 13 West 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-8628, Japan
| | - Motoshi Ueda
- Division of Applied Physics, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, North 13 West 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-8628, Japan
| | - Khoa V Le
- RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Tokyo University of Science, 1-3 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8601, Japan
| | - Reo Amano
- Division of Applied Physics, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, North 13 West 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-8628, Japan
| | - Shin Sakane
- Division of Applied Physics, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, North 13 West 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-8628, Japan
| | - Shuji Fujii
- Division of Applied Physics, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, North 13 West 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-8628, Japan
| | - Fumito Araoka
- RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Orihara
- Division of Applied Physics, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, North 13 West 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-8628, Japan
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Ok JM, Kim YH, Lee TY, Yoo HW, Kwon K, Jung WB, Kim SH, Jung HT. Controlling Smectic Liquid Crystal Defect Patterns by Physical Stamping-Assisted Domain Separation and Their Use as Templates for Quantum Dot Cluster Arrays. Langmuir 2016; 32:13418-13426. [PMID: 27993016 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b03355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Controlling the organization of self-assembling building blocks over a large area is crucial for lithographic tools based on the bottom-up approach. However, the fabrication of liquid crystal (LC) defect patterns with a particular ordering still remains a challenge because of the limited close-packed morphologies of LC defects. Here, we introduce a multiple-stamping domain separation method for the control of the dimensions and organization of LC defect structures. Prepatterns with various grid shapes on planar polyimide (PI) surfaces were fabricated by pressing a line-shaped stamp into the PI surfaces in two different directions, and then these surfaces were used to prepare LC defect structures confined to these grid domains. The dimensions of the LC defect structures, namely, the equilibrium diameter and the center to center spacing, are controlled by varying the line spacing of the stamps and the film thickness. A variety of arrangements of LC defects, including square, rhombic, hexagonal, and other oblique lattices, can be obtained by simply varying the stamping angle (Ω) between the first and second stamping directions. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the resulting controllable LC defect arrays can be used as templates for generating various patterns of nanoparticle clusters by trapping quantum dots (QDs) within the cores of the LC defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong Min Ok
- KAIST Institute for Nanocentury (KINC) and Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK-21 Plus), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology , 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Yun Ho Kim
- Advanced Functional Materials Group, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology , Daejeon 34114, Korea
| | - Tae Yong Lee
- KAIST Institute for Nanocentury (KINC) and Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK-21 Plus), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology , 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Hae-Wook Yoo
- KAIST Institute for Nanocentury (KINC) and Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK-21 Plus), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology , 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Kiok Kwon
- KAIST Institute for Nanocentury (KINC) and Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK-21 Plus), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology , 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Woo-Bin Jung
- KAIST Institute for Nanocentury (KINC) and Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK-21 Plus), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology , 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Shin-Hyun Kim
- KAIST Institute for Nanocentury (KINC) and Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK-21 Plus), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology , 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Hee-Tae Jung
- KAIST Institute for Nanocentury (KINC) and Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK-21 Plus), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology , 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea
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17
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Abstract
The liquid crystal octylcyanobiphenyl (8CB) was doped with the chiral agent CB15 and spin-coated onto a substrate treated for planar alignment of the director, resulting in a film of thickness several hundred nm in the smectic-A phase. In both doped and undoped samples, the competing boundary conditions - planar alignment at the substrate and vertical alignment at the free surface - cause the liquid crystal to break into a series of flattened hemicylinders to satisfy the boundary conditions. When viewed under an optical microscope with crossed polarizers, this structure results in a series of dark and light stripes ("oily streaks") of period ∼1 μm. In the absence of chiral dopant the stripes run perpendicular to the substrate's easy axis. However, when doped with chiral CB15 at concentrations up to c = 4 wt%, the stripe orientation rotates by a temperature-dependent angle φ with respect to the c = 0 stripe orientation, where φ increases monotonically with c. φ is largest just below the nematic - smectic-A transition temperature TNA and decreases with decreasing temperature. As the temperature is lowered, φ relaxes to a steady-state orientation close to zero within ∼1 °C of TNA. We suggest that the rotation phenomenon is a manifestation of the surface electroclinic effect: The rotation is due to the weak smectic order parameter and resulting large director tilt susceptibility with respect to the smectic layer normal near TNA, in conjunction with an effective surface electric field due to polar interactions between the liquid crystal and substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian R Nemitz
- Department of Physics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA.
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