Title: Linked topological colloids in a nematic host

Abstract

Geometric shape and topology of constituent particles can alter many colloidal properties such as Brownian motion, self-assembly, and phase behavior. Thus far, only single-component building blocks of colloids with connected surfaces have been studied, although topological colloids, with constituent particles shaped as freestanding knots and handlebodies of different genus, have been recently introduced. Here we develop a topological class of colloids shaped as multicomponent links. Using two-photon photopolymerization, we fabricate colloidal microparticle analogs of the classic examples of links studied in the field of topology, the Hopf and Solomon links, which we disperse in nematic fluids that possess orientational ordering of anisotropic rod-like molecules. The surfaces of these particles are treated to impose tangential or perpendicular boundary conditions for the alignment of liquid crystal molecules, so that they generate a host of topologically nontrivial field and defect structures in the dispersing nematic medium, resulting in an elastic coupling between the linked constituents. Here, the interplay between the topologies of surfaces of linked colloids and the molecular alignment field of the nematic host reveals that linking of particle rings with perpendicular boundary conditions is commonly accompanied by linking of closed singular defect loops, laying the foundations for fabricating complex composite materialsmore » with interlinking-based structural organization.« less

Authors:

Martinez, Angel ^[1]; Hermosillo, Leonardo ^[1]; Tasinkevych, Mykola ^[2]; Smalyukh, Ivan I. ^[3]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
2. Max-Planck-Inst. für Intelligente Systeme, Stuttgart (Germany); Univ. Stuttgart (Germany)
3. Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Publication Date:

Mon Mar 30 00:00:00 EDT 2015

Research Org.:

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE); National Science Foundation (NSF)

OSTI Identifier:

1235235

Report Number(s):

NREL/JA-5900-65642
Journal ID: ISSN 0027-8424

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC36-08GO28308; DMR-0820579; PRF 54095-ND7

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 112; Journal Issue: 15; Related Information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; Journal ID: ISSN 0027-8424

Publisher:

National Academy of Sciences

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

14 SOLAR ENERGY; 77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY; liquid crystals; self-assembly; topological defects; Hopf and Solomon links; low-dimensional topology