Issue 15, 2012
From the journal:

Soft Matter

Anisotropic dynamics of the tenuous gel in a liquid crystal–nanoparticle composite

D. D. van 't Zand,a   Y. Chushkin,b   L. Belkoura,c   C. V. Lobo,a   R. Strey,c   K. Lyakhovad  and  P. S. Clegg*a  

* Corresponding authors

a School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
E-mail: paul.clegg@ed.ac.uk

b TROÏKA beamline, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, Cedex, France

c Institute für Physikalische Chemie, Universität zu Köln, Luxemburgerstr. 116, Köln, Germany

d Eindhoven University of Technology, PO box 513, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Abstract

We present a study of the structure and local dynamics of dispersed silica nanoparticles in the liquid crystal 4′-pentyl-4-biphenylcarbonitrile (5CB). Electron microscopy and X-ray scattering data demonstrate that the nanoparticles form agglomerates with a fractal structure. Investigation of the local dynamics of the particle agglomerates using X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy reveals pronounced anisotropy in the relaxation rate and aging behaviour. We suggest that the unusual relaxation behaviour is a consequence of the anisotropy of the host solvent.

Graphical abstract: Anisotropic dynamics of the tenuous gel in a liquid crystal–nanoparticle composite

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Article information

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1039/C2SM06986E
Article type
Communication
Submitted
18 Oct 2011
Accepted
05 Dec 2011
First published
20 Dec 2011

Soft Matter, 2012,8, 4062-4066

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Anisotropic dynamics of the tenuous gel in a liquid crystal–nanoparticle composite

D. D. van 't Zand, Y. Chushkin, L. Belkoura, C. V. Lobo, R. Strey, K. Lyakhova and P. S. Clegg, Soft Matter, 2012, 8, 4062 DOI: 10.1039/C2SM06986E

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