Issue 22, 2023

Energy landscapes on polymerized liquid crystal interfaces

Abstract

We measure and model monolayers of concentrated diffusing colloidal probes interacting with polymerized liquid crystal (PLC) planar surfaces. At topological defects in local nematic director profiles at PLC surfaces, we observe time-averaged two-dimensional particle density profiles of diffusing colloidal probes that closely correlate with spatial variations in PLC optical properties. An inverse Monte Carlo analysis of particle concentration profiles yields two-dimensional PLC interfacial energy landscapes on the kT-scale, which is the inherent scale of many interfacial phenomena (e.g., self-assembly, adsorption, diffusion). Energy landscapes are modelled as the superposition of macromolecular repulsion and van der Waals attraction based on an anisotropic dielectric function obtained from the liquid crystal birefringence. Modelled van der Waals landscapes capture most net energy landscape variations and correlate well with experimental PLC director profiles around defects. Some energy landscape variations near PLC defects indicate either additional local repulsive interactions or possibly the need for more rigorous van der Waals models with complete spectral data. These findings demonstrate direct, sensitive measurements of kT-scale van der Waals energy landscapes at PLC interfacial defects and suggest the ability to design interfacial anisotropic materials and van der Waals energy landscapes for colloidal assembly.

Graphical abstract: Energy landscapes on polymerized liquid crystal interfaces

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
19 Mar 2023
Accepted
21 May 2023
First published
22 May 2023

Soft Matter, 2023,19, 4109-4122

Author version available

Energy landscapes on polymerized liquid crystal interfaces

R. S. Hendley, E. Jumai’an, H. A. Fuster, N. L. Abbott and M. A. Bevan, Soft Matter, 2023, 19, 4109 DOI: 10.1039/D3SM00356F

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements