Experimental realization of crossover in shape and director field of nematic tactoids

Jamali, V. and Behabtu, N. and Senyuk, B. and Lee, J. A. and Smalyukh, I. I. and van der Schoot, P. and Pasquali, M.. (2015) Experimental realization of crossover in shape and director field of nematic tactoids. Physical Review E, 91 (4).

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Abstract

Spindle-shaped nematic droplets (tactoids) form in solutions of rod-like molecules at the onset of the liquid crystalline phase. Their unique shape and internal structure result from the interplay of the elastic deformation of the nematic and anisotropic surface forces. The balance of these forces dictates that tactoids must display a continuous variation in aspect ratio and director-field configuration. Yet, such continuous transition has eluded observation for decades: tactoids have displayed either a bipolar configuration with particles aligned parallel to the droplet interface or a homogeneous configuration with particles aligned parallel to the long axis of the tactoid. Here, we report the first observation of the continuous transition in shape and director-field configuration of tactoids in true solutions of carbon nanotubes in chlorosulfonic acid. This observation is possible because the exceptional length of carbon nanotubes shifts the transition to a size range that can be visualized by optical microscopy. Polarization micrographs yield the interfacial and elastic properties of the system. Absorbance anisotropy measurements provide the highest nematic order parameter (S = 0.79) measured to date for a nematic phase of carbon nanotubes at coexistence with its isotropic phase.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: ISI Document Delivery No.: CG7DXTimes Cited: 0Cited Reference Count: 41Jamali, Vida Behabtu, Natnael Senyuk, Bohdan Lee, J. Alex Smalyukh, Ivan I. van der Schoot, Paul Pasquali, MatteoTeijin Aramid; Air Force Office of Scientific Research FA9550-09-1-0590; Welch Foundation C-1668; US Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering grants; National Science Foundation Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center CMMI-0531171, CMMI-1031171; ICAMThis work was financially supported by Teijin Aramid, Air Force Office of Scientific Research (Grant No. FA9550-09-1-0590), the Welch Foundation (Grant No. C-1668), and US Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering grants. B.S. acknowledges the support of ICAM Branch Contributions. J.A.L. was supported by the National Science Foundation Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center under Grants No. CMMI-0531171 and No. CMMI-1031171. We thank Dr. Philippe Poulin, Peter Prinsen, and Robert Pinnick for helpful comments.Amer physical socCollege pk
Uncontrolled Keywords: polymers
Collections: Nanomanufacturing Research Collection > Nanomanufacturing Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers > Center for Hierarchical Manufacturing
Depositing User: Robert Stevens
Date Deposited: 12 Nov 2015 18:38
Last Modified: 12 Nov 2015 18:38
URI: http://eprints.internano.org/id/eprint/2347

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