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Article
| Open Access
Hybrid microstructure of smectite clay gels revealed using neutron and synchrotron X-ray scattering
The nematic sol-gel transition microstructure of swelling clays is not well understood. Here, the microstructure of a smectite clay suspension is probed with ultra-small angle neutron/X-ray scattering, uncovering the structural order of these nematic gels.
- Mohammad Shoaib
- , Shaihroz Khan
- & Erin R. Bobicki
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Article
| Open Access
Nano-clustering mediates phase transitions in a diastereomerically-stabilized ferroelectric nematic system
Ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals are interesting due to their combined high polarizability, electro-optic activity, and fluidity. Here, the authors tune the ferroelectric nematic phase transition by mixing diastereomer molecules, investigating the role of clusters in the stabilization of the ferroelectric nematic phase.
- Hiroya Nishikawa
- , Koki Sano
- & Fumito Araoka
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Article
| Open Access
Stabilized director buckling patterns in nematic elastomers and their dynamic optical effects
Light diffusion effects in liquid crystals are important for security and lighting devices. Here, viewing angle dependent pearlescence and iridescence are reported in a nematic liquid crystal elastomer with a stabilized director buckling pattern, which can be controlled by deformation or temperature.
- Takuya Ohzono
- , Hiroyuki Minamikawa
- & Eugene M. Terentjev
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Article
| Open Access
Tracking the time evolution of soft matter systems via topological structural heterogeneity
Topological data analysis is an important framework for quantifying the structural and morphological features of soft materials. Here, structural heterogeneity is introduced as a quantitative measure of non-equilibrium mesoscopic order in soft matter and used to track the time-evolution of liquid crystal phase transitions.
- Ingrid Membrillo Solis
- , Tetiana Orlova
- & Malgosia Kaczmarek
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Article
| Open Access
Travelling colourful patterns in self-organized cellulose-based liquid crystalline structures
Cellulose is a naturally occurring system of interest for its chiral macromolecular structure. Here, colourful structural patterns are observed in a cellulose-based lyotropic cholesteric system, attributed to conformational self-adjustment of the cellulose chain to its environment.
- Pedro E. S. Silva
- , Ricardo Chagas
- & Maria Helena Godinho
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Article
| Open Access
Directed self-assembly of soft 3D photonic crystals for holograms with omnidirectional circular-polarization selectivity
Controlling the alignment of blue phase liquid crystals is challenging. Here, electric-field induced phase transitions are exploited to control the crystal orientation of blue phase I, and applied to the fabrication of holograms with omnidirectional circular-polarization selectivity.
- SeongYong Cho
- , Misaki Takahashi
- & Masanori Ozaki
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Article
| Open Access
Interrogating helical nanorod self-assembly with fractionated cellulose nanocrystal suspensions
Aligning cholesteric liquid crystal nanorods is key to their optical properties, yet challenging to achieve in artificial systems. Here cellulose nanorods are fractionated from suspension, revealing that nanorod length correlates with helical twist, allowing uniformly violet films to be created.
- Camila Honorato-Rios
- & Jan P. F. Lagerwall
Electric-field-aligned liquid crystal polymer for doubling anisotropic thermal conductivity