skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Self-assembly, Condensation, and Order in Aqueous Lyotropic Chromonic Liquid Crystals Crowded with Additives

Abstract

Dense multicomponent systems with macromolecules and small solutes attract a broad research interest as they mimic the molecularly crowded cellular interiors. The additives can condense and align the macromolecules, but they do not change the degree of covalent polymerization. We chose a lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal with reversibly and non-covalently assembled aggregates as a much softer system, reminiscent of 'living polymers', to demonstrate that small neutral and charged additives cause condensation of aggregates with ensuing orientational and positional ordering and nontrivial morphologies of phase separation, such as tactoids and toroids of the nematic and hexagonal columnar phase coexisting with the isotropic melt. Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) with near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) analysis as well as fluorescent microscopy demonstrates segregation of the components. The observations suggest that self-assembly of chromonic aggregates in the presence of additives is controlled by both entropy effects and by specific molecular interactions and provide a new route to the regulated reversible assembly of soft materials formed by low-molecular weight components.

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). National Synchrotron Light Source
Sponsoring Org.:
DOE - OFFICE OF SCIENCE
OSTI Identifier:
1020172
Report Number(s):
BNL-96022-2011-JA
Journal ID: ISSN 1744-683X; TRN: US201116%%152
DOE Contract Number:  
DE-AC02-98CH10886
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Soft Matter
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 6; Journal Issue: 17; Journal ID: ISSN 1744-683X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; ABSORPTION; ADDITIVES; ENTROPY; FINE STRUCTURE; LIQUID CRYSTALS; MICROSCOPY; POLYMERIZATION; POLYMERS; SEGREGATION; SOLUTES; national synchrotron light source

Citation Formats

Tortora, L, Park, H, Kang, S, Savaryn, V, Hong, S, Kaznatcheev, K, Finotello, D, Sprunt, S, Kumar, S, and Lavrentovich, O. Self-assembly, Condensation, and Order in Aqueous Lyotropic Chromonic Liquid Crystals Crowded with Additives. United States: N. p., 2010. Web. doi:10.1039/c0sm00065e.
Tortora, L, Park, H, Kang, S, Savaryn, V, Hong, S, Kaznatcheev, K, Finotello, D, Sprunt, S, Kumar, S, & Lavrentovich, O. Self-assembly, Condensation, and Order in Aqueous Lyotropic Chromonic Liquid Crystals Crowded with Additives. United States. https://doi.org/10.1039/c0sm00065e
Tortora, L, Park, H, Kang, S, Savaryn, V, Hong, S, Kaznatcheev, K, Finotello, D, Sprunt, S, Kumar, S, and Lavrentovich, O. 2010. "Self-assembly, Condensation, and Order in Aqueous Lyotropic Chromonic Liquid Crystals Crowded with Additives". United States. https://doi.org/10.1039/c0sm00065e.
@article{osti_1020172,
title = {Self-assembly, Condensation, and Order in Aqueous Lyotropic Chromonic Liquid Crystals Crowded with Additives},
author = {Tortora, L and Park, H and Kang, S and Savaryn, V and Hong, S and Kaznatcheev, K and Finotello, D and Sprunt, S and Kumar, S and Lavrentovich, O},
abstractNote = {Dense multicomponent systems with macromolecules and small solutes attract a broad research interest as they mimic the molecularly crowded cellular interiors. The additives can condense and align the macromolecules, but they do not change the degree of covalent polymerization. We chose a lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal with reversibly and non-covalently assembled aggregates as a much softer system, reminiscent of 'living polymers', to demonstrate that small neutral and charged additives cause condensation of aggregates with ensuing orientational and positional ordering and nontrivial morphologies of phase separation, such as tactoids and toroids of the nematic and hexagonal columnar phase coexisting with the isotropic melt. Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) with near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) analysis as well as fluorescent microscopy demonstrates segregation of the components. The observations suggest that self-assembly of chromonic aggregates in the presence of additives is controlled by both entropy effects and by specific molecular interactions and provide a new route to the regulated reversible assembly of soft materials formed by low-molecular weight components.},
doi = {10.1039/c0sm00065e},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1020172}, journal = {Soft Matter},
issn = {1744-683X},
number = 17,
volume = 6,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2010},
month = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2010}
}