Issue 22, 2009
From the journal:

Soft Matter

Nematic braids: 2D entangled nematic liquid crystal colloids†

Miha Ravnika  and  Slobodan Žumer*bc  

* Corresponding authors

a Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Jadranska 19, Ljubljana, Slovenia
E-mail: miha.ravnik@fmf.uni-lj.si

b Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Jadranska 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
E-mail: slobodan.zumer@fmf.uni-lj.si

c J. Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Abstract

Assembly of several entangled clusters and 2D colloidal crystals is demonstrated in nematic solvents using numerical modeling based on Landau–de Gennes free energy. Micron-sized particles that build novel topological objects are bound by delocalized disclination loops of various conformations. The metastable defect conformations are accessed via numerical temperature quenching from the isotropic to nematic phase. Equilibration of entangled structures with respect to liquid crystalline and particles' degrees of freedom is demonstrated. Finally, possible experimental approaches towards periodic entangled colloidal crystals are briefly addressed.

Graphical abstract: Nematic braids: 2D entangled nematic liquid crystal colloids

About
Cited by
Related
Download options Please wait...

Article information

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1039/B913065A
Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 Jul 2009
Accepted
25 Aug 2009
First published
17 Sep 2009

Soft Matter, 2009,5, 4520-4525

Permissions

Request permissions

Nematic braids: 2D entangled nematic liquid crystal colloids

M. Ravnik and S. Žumer, Soft Matter, 2009, 5, 4520 DOI: 10.1039/B913065A

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