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Title: Reversible Nanoparticle Cubic Lattices in Blue Phase Liquid Crystals

Abstract

Blue phases (BPs), a distinct class of liquid crystals (LCs) with 3D periodic ordering of double twist cylinders involving orthogonal helical director twists, have been theoretically studied as potential templates for tunable colloidal crystals. Here, we report the spontaneous formation of thermally reversible, cubic crystal nanoparticle (NP) assemblies in BPs. Gold NPs, functionalized to be highly miscible in cyanobiphenyl-based LCs, were dispersed in BP mixtures and characterized by polarized optical microscopy and synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The NPs assemble by selectively migrating to periodic strong trapping sites in the BP disclination lines. The NP lattice, remarkably robust given the small particle size (4.5 nm diameter), is commensurate with that of the BP matrix. At the BP I to BP II phase transition, the NP lattice reversibly switches between two different cubic structures. The simultaneous presence of two different symmetries in a single material presents an interesting opportunity to develop novel dynamic optical materials.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. McGill Univ., Montreal, QC (Canada). Dept of Physics, and Dept. of Physics
  2. McGill Univ., Montreal, QC (Canada). Dept of Physics
  3. McGill Univ., Montreal, QC (Canada). Dept. of Physics
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
OSTI Identifier:
1245856
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02- 06CH11357
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
ACS Nano
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 10; Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 1936-0851
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
ENGLISH
Subject:
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; Crystals; Gold; Lattices; Mixtures; Phase transitions; blue phase; liquid crystal; nanoparticles; colloidal crystal

Citation Formats

Gharbi, Mohamed Amine, Manet, Sabine, Lhermitte, Julien, Brown, Sarah, Milette, Jonathan, Toader, Violeta, Sutton, Mark, and Reven, Linda. Reversible Nanoparticle Cubic Lattices in Blue Phase Liquid Crystals. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1021/acsnano.5b07379.
Gharbi, Mohamed Amine, Manet, Sabine, Lhermitte, Julien, Brown, Sarah, Milette, Jonathan, Toader, Violeta, Sutton, Mark, & Reven, Linda. Reversible Nanoparticle Cubic Lattices in Blue Phase Liquid Crystals. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.5b07379
Gharbi, Mohamed Amine, Manet, Sabine, Lhermitte, Julien, Brown, Sarah, Milette, Jonathan, Toader, Violeta, Sutton, Mark, and Reven, Linda. Thu . "Reversible Nanoparticle Cubic Lattices in Blue Phase Liquid Crystals". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.5b07379. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1245856.
@article{osti_1245856,
title = {Reversible Nanoparticle Cubic Lattices in Blue Phase Liquid Crystals},
author = {Gharbi, Mohamed Amine and Manet, Sabine and Lhermitte, Julien and Brown, Sarah and Milette, Jonathan and Toader, Violeta and Sutton, Mark and Reven, Linda},
abstractNote = {Blue phases (BPs), a distinct class of liquid crystals (LCs) with 3D periodic ordering of double twist cylinders involving orthogonal helical director twists, have been theoretically studied as potential templates for tunable colloidal crystals. Here, we report the spontaneous formation of thermally reversible, cubic crystal nanoparticle (NP) assemblies in BPs. Gold NPs, functionalized to be highly miscible in cyanobiphenyl-based LCs, were dispersed in BP mixtures and characterized by polarized optical microscopy and synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The NPs assemble by selectively migrating to periodic strong trapping sites in the BP disclination lines. The NP lattice, remarkably robust given the small particle size (4.5 nm diameter), is commensurate with that of the BP matrix. At the BP I to BP II phase transition, the NP lattice reversibly switches between two different cubic structures. The simultaneous presence of two different symmetries in a single material presents an interesting opportunity to develop novel dynamic optical materials.},
doi = {10.1021/acsnano.5b07379},
journal = {ACS Nano},
number = 3,
volume = 10,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Feb 25 00:00:00 EST 2016},
month = {Thu Feb 25 00:00:00 EST 2016}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
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Cited by: 54 works
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Figures / Tables:

Figure 1 Figure 1: SAXS measurements showing (a) the evolution of the scattering intensity while decreasing the temperature of the LC/ Au NP mixture (2.5 wt % Au NPs in 50:50 6OCB/CB15) from the isotropic phase at T = 40 °C (time = 0 s) to the cholesteric phase at T =more » 22 °C (time ∼1000 s), ramp 1 °C/min. (b) The corresponding scattered intensity in the isotropic phase (green line), the BPII (blue line), the BPI (magenta line), and the cholesteric phase (cyan line). The data show that the arrangement of the Au NPs is sensitive to the symmetry of the LC mesophase.« less

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