Liquid-crystal mediated nanoparticle interactions and gel formation
Abstract
Colloidal particles embedded within nematic liquid crystals exhibit strong anisotropic interactions arising from preferential orientation of nematogens near the particle surface. Such interactions are conducive to forming branched, gel-like aggregates. Anchoring effects also induce interactions between colloids dispersed in the isotropic liquid phase, through the interactions of the pre-nematic wetting layers. Here we utilize computer simulation using coarse-grained mesogens to perform a molecular-level calculation of the potential of mean force between two embedded nanoparticles as a function of anchoring for a set of solvent conditions straddling the isotropic–nematic transition. Finally, we observe that strong, nontrivial interactions can be induced between particles dispersed in mesogenic solvent, and explore how such interactions might be utilized to induce a gel state in the isotropic and nematic phases.
- Authors:
-
- Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)
- Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States); Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); National Science Foundation (NSF); National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1603418
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0004025; DMR-1121288; T32HG002760
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Chemical Physics
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 138; Journal Issue: 19; Journal ID: ISSN 0021-9606
- Publisher:
- American Institute of Physics (AIP)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
Citation Formats
Whitmer, Jonathan K., Joshi, Abhijeet A., Roberts, Tyler F., and de Pablo, Juan J. Liquid-crystal mediated nanoparticle interactions and gel formation. United States: N. p., 2013.
Web. doi:10.1063/1.4802774.
Whitmer, Jonathan K., Joshi, Abhijeet A., Roberts, Tyler F., & de Pablo, Juan J. Liquid-crystal mediated nanoparticle interactions and gel formation. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4802774
Whitmer, Jonathan K., Joshi, Abhijeet A., Roberts, Tyler F., and de Pablo, Juan J. Fri .
"Liquid-crystal mediated nanoparticle interactions and gel formation". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4802774. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1603418.
@article{osti_1603418,
title = {Liquid-crystal mediated nanoparticle interactions and gel formation},
author = {Whitmer, Jonathan K. and Joshi, Abhijeet A. and Roberts, Tyler F. and de Pablo, Juan J.},
abstractNote = {Colloidal particles embedded within nematic liquid crystals exhibit strong anisotropic interactions arising from preferential orientation of nematogens near the particle surface. Such interactions are conducive to forming branched, gel-like aggregates. Anchoring effects also induce interactions between colloids dispersed in the isotropic liquid phase, through the interactions of the pre-nematic wetting layers. Here we utilize computer simulation using coarse-grained mesogens to perform a molecular-level calculation of the potential of mean force between two embedded nanoparticles as a function of anchoring for a set of solvent conditions straddling the isotropic–nematic transition. Finally, we observe that strong, nontrivial interactions can be induced between particles dispersed in mesogenic solvent, and explore how such interactions might be utilized to induce a gel state in the isotropic and nematic phases.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4802774},
journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics},
number = 19,
volume = 138,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri May 17 00:00:00 EDT 2013},
month = {Fri May 17 00:00:00 EDT 2013}
}
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