Segregation of liquid crystal mixtures in topological defects
Abstract
The structure and physical properties of liquid crystal (LC) mixtures are a function of composition, and small changes can have pronounced effects on observables, such as phase-transition temperatures. Traditionally, LC mixtures have been assumed to be compositionally homogenous. The results of chemically detailed simulations presented here show that this is not the case; pronounced deviations of the local order from that observed in the bulk at defects and interfaces lead to significant compositional segregation effects. More specifically, two disclination lines are stabilized in this work by introducing into a nematic liquid crystal mixture a cylindrical body that exhibits perpendicular anchoring. Here, it is found that the local composition deviates considerably from that of the bulk at the interface with the cylinder and in the defects, thereby suggesting new assembly and synthetic strategies that may capitalize on the unusual molecular environment provided by liquid crystal mixtures.
- Authors:
-
[1];
- Univ. of Chicago, Chicago, IL (United States)
- Univ. of Chicago, Chicago, IL (United States); Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- US Army Research Office (ARO); National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1377866
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-06CH11357
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Nature Communications
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 8; Journal ID: ISSN 2041-1723
- Publisher:
- Nature Publishing Group
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; liquid crystals; molecular dynamics
Citation Formats
Rahimi, Mohammad, Ramezani-Dakhel, Hadi, Zhang, Rui, Ramirez-Hernandez, Abelardo, Abbott, Nicholas L., and de Pablo, Juan J. Segregation of liquid crystal mixtures in topological defects. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1038/ncomms15064.
Rahimi, Mohammad, Ramezani-Dakhel, Hadi, Zhang, Rui, Ramirez-Hernandez, Abelardo, Abbott, Nicholas L., & de Pablo, Juan J. Segregation of liquid crystal mixtures in topological defects. United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms15064
Rahimi, Mohammad, Ramezani-Dakhel, Hadi, Zhang, Rui, Ramirez-Hernandez, Abelardo, Abbott, Nicholas L., and de Pablo, Juan J. Fri .
"Segregation of liquid crystal mixtures in topological defects". United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms15064. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1377866.
@article{osti_1377866,
title = {Segregation of liquid crystal mixtures in topological defects},
author = {Rahimi, Mohammad and Ramezani-Dakhel, Hadi and Zhang, Rui and Ramirez-Hernandez, Abelardo and Abbott, Nicholas L. and de Pablo, Juan J.},
abstractNote = {The structure and physical properties of liquid crystal (LC) mixtures are a function of composition, and small changes can have pronounced effects on observables, such as phase-transition temperatures. Traditionally, LC mixtures have been assumed to be compositionally homogenous. The results of chemically detailed simulations presented here show that this is not the case; pronounced deviations of the local order from that observed in the bulk at defects and interfaces lead to significant compositional segregation effects. More specifically, two disclination lines are stabilized in this work by introducing into a nematic liquid crystal mixture a cylindrical body that exhibits perpendicular anchoring. Here, it is found that the local composition deviates considerably from that of the bulk at the interface with the cylinder and in the defects, thereby suggesting new assembly and synthetic strategies that may capitalize on the unusual molecular environment provided by liquid crystal mixtures.},
doi = {10.1038/ncomms15064},
journal = {Nature Communications},
number = ,
volume = 8,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Apr 28 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Fri Apr 28 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}
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