Localised polymer networks in chiral nematic liquid crystals for high speed photonic switching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tartan, Chloe C.; Salter, Patrick S.; Booth, Martin J.; Morris, Stephen M.; Elston, Steve J.

2016-01-01

Self-assembled periodic structures based upon chiral liquid crystalline materials have significant potential in the field of photonics ranging from fast-switching optoelectronic devices to low-threshold lasers. The flexoelectro-optic effect, which is observed in chiral nematic liquid crystals (LCs) when an electric field is applied perpendicular to the helical axis, has significant potential as it exhibits analogue switching in 10–100 μs. However, the major technological barrier that prohibits the commercial realisation of this electro-optic effect is the requirement of a uniform, in-plane alignment of the helix axis between glass substrates. Here, it is shown that periodic polymer structures engineered in the nematic phase of a chiral nematic LC device using direct laser writing can result in the spontaneous formation of the necessary uniform lying helix (ULH) state. Specifically, two-photon polymerization is used in conjunction with a spatial light modulator so as to correct for aberrations introduced by the bounding glass substrates enabling the polymer structures to be fabricated directly into the device. The ULH state appears to be stable in the absence of an externally applied electric field, and the optimum contrast between the bright and dark states is obtained using polymer structures that have periodicities of the order of the device thickness.

Localised polymer networks in chiral nematic liquid crystals for high speed photonic switching

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tartan, Chloe C., E-mail: chloe.tartan@eng.ox.ac.uk, E-mail: steve.elston@eng.ox.ac.uk; Salter, Patrick S.; Booth, Martin J.; Morris, Stephen M.; Elston, Steve J., E-mail: chloe.tartan@eng.ox.ac.uk, E-mail: steve.elston@eng.ox.ac.uk [Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PJ (United Kingdom)

2016-05-14

Self-assembled periodic structures based upon chiral liquid crystalline materials have significant potential in the field of photonics ranging from fast-switching optoelectronic devices to low-threshold lasers. The flexoelectro-optic effect, which is observed in chiral nematic liquid crystals (LCs) when an electric field is applied perpendicular to the helical axis, has significant potential as it exhibits analogue switching in 10–100 μs. However, the major technological barrier that prohibits the commercial realisation of this electro-optic effect is the requirement of a uniform, in-plane alignment of the helix axis between glass substrates. Here, it is shown that periodic polymer structures engineered in the nematic phase of a chiral nematic LC device using direct laser writing can result in the spontaneous formation of the necessary uniform lying helix (ULH) state. Specifically, two-photon polymerization is used in conjunction with a spatial light modulator so as to correct for aberrations introduced by the bounding glass substrates enabling the polymer structures to be fabricated directly into the device. The ULH state appears to be stable in the absence of an externally applied electric field, and the optimum contrast between the bright and dark states is obtained using polymer structures that have periodicities of the order of the device thickness.

Electro-optic studies of the flexoelectric effect in chiral nematic liquid crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Musgrave, B.

2000-01-01

With the advent of global telecommunications networks and the Internet, the development of portable display technology has gained a new impetus. Liquid crystal devices have played a major role in this area, most conspicuously as displays in laptop computers. To date, these liquid crystalline devices have been generally based on the rather slow (∼ 30 ms) dielectric response of the achiral nematic liquid crystal phase, although more expensive devices based on the faster ( -1 m -1 , and are the highest measured to date: the highest value previously published is 0.12 C N -1 m -1 , measured for the commercial mixture TM216. In order to interpret the effect of the bimesogens' molecular structure, achiral nematic monomesogens and bimesogens have been doped with chiral additives and the resultant mixtures' flexoelectro-optic properties have been analysed. From this work it has been possible to determine that the polar cyanobiphenyl group is the key to the strong response in the estradiol-cyanobiphenyl materials. In conclusion, a recommendation is made, for the first time, for a general molecular structure likely to exhibit a strong flexoelectro-optic response: namely, bimesogenic materials composed of highly polar end groups separated by a flexible spacer. (author)

Chiral domain formation from the mixture of achiral rod-like liquid crystal and tri boomerang-shaped molecule

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ji-Hoon; Yoon, Tae-Hoon

2013-08-01

Spontaneous formation of chiral domains such as a helical filament and a bent-broom texture was observed from the mixture of a rod-like liquid crystal octylcyano-biphenyl (8CB) and a tri boomerang-shaped 2,4,6-triphenoxy-1,3,5-triazine (triphenoxy) molecule. Although the constituent molecules were achiral, their mixture showed the chiral domains with the equal fraction of the opposite handedness. No tilt of 8CB molecules in the smectic layer was observed, implying the chirality is not due to the polar packing and tilt of the molecules. In addition, the splay and bend elastic constant of 8CB was decreased after doping triphenoxy. A structural conformation of triphenoxy and an orientational coupling between 8CB and triphenoxy are considered to be related to the chiral domain formation.

Liquid Crystals in Decorative and Visual Arts

Science.gov (United States)

Makow, David

The following sections are included: * INTRODUCTION * PIGMENT AND STRUCTURAL COLOURS AND THEIR RELEVANCE TO LIQUID CRYSTALS * LIQUID CRYSTAL MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES FOR DECORATIVE AND VISUAL ARTS * Free cholesteric liquid crystals (FCLC's) * Encapsulated liquid crystals (ECLC's) * Nonsteroid Chiral nematics * Polymers with liquid crystalline properties (PLCs) * COLOUR PROPERTIES OF CHOLESTERIC LIQUID CRYSTALS (CLC's) * Molecular structure and the mechanism of colour production * Dependence of perceived colours on the angle of illumination and viewing * Dependence of perceived colours on temperature * Additive colour properties * Methods of doubling the peak reflectance of cholesteric liquid crystals * Colour gamut * Colours of superimposed and pigmented coatings * Colours in transmission * ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS * REFERENCES

Dual electrically and thermally responsive broadband reflectors based on polymer network stabilized chiral nematic liquid crystals: the role of crosslink density

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Khandelwal, H.; Timmermans, G.H.; Debije, M.G.; Schenning, A.P.H.J.

2016-01-01

A broadband reflector based on a polymer stabilized chiral nematic liquid crystal has been fabricated. The reflection bandwidth can be manually controlled by an electric field and autonomously by temperature.

Electroclinic effect in the chiral lamellar α phase of a lyotropic liquid crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Harjung, Marc D.; Giesselmann, Frank

2018-03-01

In thermotropic chiral Sm -A* phases, an electric field along the smectic layers breaks the D∞ symmetry of the Sm -A* phase and induces a tilt of the liquid crystal director. This so-called electroclinic effect (ECE) was first reported by Garoff and Meyer in 1977 and attracted substantial scientific and technological interest due to its linear and submicrosecond electro-optic response [S. Garoff and R. B. Meyer, Phys. Rev. A 19, 338 (1979), 10.1103/PhysRevA.19.338]. We now report the observation of an ECE in the pretransitional regime from a lyotropic chiral lamellar Lα* phase into a lyo-Sm -C* phase, the lyotropic analog to the thermotropic Sm -C* phase which was recently discovered by Bruckner et al. [Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 52, 8934 (2013), 10.1002/anie.201303344]. We further show that the observed ECE has all signatures of its thermotropic counterpart, namely (i) the effect is chiral in nature and vanishes in the racemic Lα phase, (ii) the effect is essentially linear in the sign and magnitude of the electric field, and (iii) the magnitude of the effect diverges hyperbolically as the temperature approaches the critical temperature of the second order tilting transition. Specific deviations between the ECEs in chiral lamellar and chiral smectic phases are related to the internal field screening effect of electric double layers formed by inevitable ionic impurities in lyotropic phases.

Nanoscopic Manipulation and Imaging of Liquid Crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosenblatt, Charles S. [Case Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, OH (United States)

2014-02-04

This is the final project report. The project’s goals centered on nanoscopic imaging and control of liquid crystals and surfaces. We developed and refined techniques to control liquid crystal orientation at surfaces with resolution as small as 25 nm, we developed an optical imaging technique that we call Optical Nanotomography that allows us to obtain images inside liquid crystal films with resolution of 60 x 60 x 1 nm, and we opened new thrust areas related to chirality and to liquid crystal/colloid composites.

Cholesteric colloidal liquid crystals from phytosterol rod-like particles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rossi, L.; Sacanna, S.; Velikov, K.P.

2011-01-01

We report the first observation of chiral colloidal liquid crystals of rod-like particles from a low molecular weight organic compound— phytosterols. Based on the particles shape and crystal structure, we attribute this phenomenon to chiral distribution of surface charge on the surface of

Chirality under confinement - multidimensional constraints in liquid crystalline materials

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sleczkowski, P.B.

2014-01-01

The first part of the thesis is devoted to studies of the self-assembled monolayers of discotic liquid crystals by the STM measurements at the liquid/solid interface. For the case of a model H5T molecule the self-assembled monolayers have evidenced both: point and organizational types of chirality,

Chirality-controlled crystallization via screw dislocations.

Science.gov (United States)

Sung, Baeckkyoung; de la Cotte, Alexis; Grelet, Eric

2018-04-11

Chirality plays an important role in science from enantiomeric separation in chemistry to chiral plasmonics in nanotechnology. However, the understanding of chirality amplification from chiral building blocks to ordered helical superstructures remains a challenge. Here, we demonstrate that topological defects, such as screw dislocations, can drive the chirality transfer from particle to supramolecular structure level during the crystallization process. By using a model system of chiral particles, which enables direct imaging of single particle incorporation into growing crystals, we show that the crystallization kinetic pathway is the key parameter for monitoring, via the defects, the chirality amplification of the crystalline structures from racemic to predominantly homohelical. We provide an explanation based on the interplay between geometrical frustration, racemization induced by thermal fluctuations, and particle chirality. Our results demonstrate that screw dislocations not only promote the growth, but also control the chiral morphology and therefore the functionality of crystalline states.

A fast anharmonic mode in electrooptical switching of liquid crystal structures based on chiral nematics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palto, S. P., E-mail: palto@online.ru; Barnik, M I; Blinov, L M; Umanskii, B. A., E-mail: umanskii@yahoo.com; Shtykov, N M [Russian Academy of Sciences, Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography (Russian Federation)

2010-09-15

Polarization, spectral, and relaxation features of a new electrooptical effect in oriented layers of chiral nematic liquid crystals (LCs) are considered. The physics behind this electrooptical effect is the induction of higher order spatial harmonics in the helical distribution of the director field, which ensures the high speed of electrooptical response. It is shown that the spectral properties of the electrooptical response can be effectively controlled by varying the optical anisotropy of the LC and the pitch of the helical structure.

Biaxial nematic liquid crystals theory, simulation and experiment

CERN Document Server

Luckhurst, Geoffrey R

2015-01-01

Liquid Crystals are a state of matter that have properties between those of conventional liquid and those of a solid crystal. Thermotropic liquid crystals react to changes in temperature or, in some cases, pressure. The reaction of lyotropic liquid crystals, which are used in the manufacture of soaps and detergents, depends on the type of solvent they are mixed with. Since the accidental discovery of the chiral nematic (ordered) phase in 1888 many liquid crystal phases have been found, sometimes by chance and sometimes by design. The existence of one such phase was predicted by Freiser in 197

Polarization-Independent Electrically Tunable Holographic Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystals Grating Doped with Chiral Molecules

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hui LI

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This study proposes a holographic grating made of polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC, with a small amount of chiral molecules doped into PDLC material. The major advantage of this grating is that it is independent of light polarization. This characteristic was verified by applying the interference beam intensity of a He-Cd laser at 150 mW/cm2, with an incidence angle between the two interference beams of 24°, for an irradiation curing duration of 120 s. The observed periodic structure of the grating is consistent with the theoretical value. As chiral molecules are doped, nematic-LC experiences a phase-change in the grating. However, the electro-optical features are only slightly affected. This proposed grating has greatly potential in 3D imaging because of its polarization-independent feature.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.23.2.16312

Optical monitoring of gases with cholesteric liquid crystals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Han, Y.; Pacheco Morillo, K.B.; Bastiaansen, C.W.M.; Broer, D.J.; Sijbesma, R.P.

2010-01-01

A new approach to optical monitors for gases is introduced using cholesteric liquid crystals doped with reactive chiral compounds. The approach is based on cholesteric pitch length changes caused by a change in helical twisting power (HTP) of the chiral dopants upon reaction with the analyte. The

Fixation of chiral smectic liquid crystal (S)-(+)-4-(2-methyl-1-butyloyloxy)phenyl 4-[1-(propenoyloxy) butiloxy] benzoate using UV curing techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Afrizal,, E-mail: rizalunj04@yahoo.com; Nurdelima,; Umeir [Faculty of Mathemathics and Natural Science, University of State Jakarta, Jakarta (Indonesia); Hikam, Muhammad; Soegiyono, Bambang [Department of Materials Science, University of Indonesia, Depok (Indonesia); Riswoko, Asep [Center for Material Technology, BPPT, Jl. MH.Thamrin 8 Jakarta (Indonesia)

2014-03-24

Chiral Smectic Liquid Crystal (S)-(+)-4-(2-methyl-1-butyloyloxy)phenyl 4-[1-(propenoyloxy) butiloxy] benzoate has been synthesized using method of steglich esterification at room temperature. The mesomorphic behavior of chiral smectic at 55°C that showed schlieren texture in POM analysis. Fixation of structure chiral smectic liquid crystal by means of photopolymerization of monomer (S)-(+)-4-(2-methyl-1-butyloyloxy)phenyl 4-[1-(propenoyloxy) butiloxy] benzoate under UV irradiation which called UV curing techniques. The curing process using UV 3 lamps 100 volt at 60°C for an hour. The product of photopolymerization could be seen by analysis of FTIR spectra both monomer and polymer. FTIR spectra of monomer, two peaks for ester carbonyl and C-C double bond groups appeared at 1729.09 cm-1and 3123.46 cm{sup −1}. After UV curing process, peak for the carbonyl group at 1729.09 cm{sup −1} decreased and a new peak at 1160.21 cm{sup −1} appeared due to the carbonyl group attached to a C-C bond group and then peak at 3123.46 cm{sup −1} for C-C double bond group was disappeared.

Optical defect modes in chiral liquid crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belyakov, V. A.; Semenov, S. V.

2011-01-01

An analytic approach to the theory of optical defect modes in chiral liquid crystals (CLCs) is developed. The analytic study is facilitated by the choice of the problem parameters. Specifically, an isotropic layer (with the dielectric susceptibility equal to the average CLC dielectric susceptibility) sandwiched between two CLC layers is studied. The chosen model allows eliminating the polarization mixing and reducing the corresponding equations to the equations for light of diffracting polarization only. The dispersion equation relating the defect mode (DM) frequency to the isotropic layer thickness and an analytic expression for the field distribution in the DM structure are obtained and the corresponding dependences are plotted for some values of the DM structure parameters. Analytic expressions for the transmission and reflection coefficients of the DM structure (CLC-defect layer-CLC) are presented and analyzed for nonabsorbing, absorbing, and amplifying CLCs. The anomalously strong light absorption effect at the DM frequency is revealed. The limit case of infinitely thick CLC layers is considered in detail. It is shown that for distributed feedback lasing in a defect structure, adjusting the lasing frequency to the DM frequency results in a significant decrease in the lasing threshold. The DM dispersion equations are solved numerically for typical values of the relevant parameters. Our approach helps clarify the physics of the optical DMs in CLCs and completely agrees with the corresponding results of the previous numerical investigations.

Chiral Responsive Liquid Quantum Dots.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jin; Ma, Junkai; Shi, Fangdan; Tian, Demei; Li, Haibing

2017-08-01

How to convert the weak chiral-interaction into the macroscopic properties of materials remains a huge challenge. Here, this study develops highly fluorescent, selectively chiral-responsive liquid quantum dots (liquid QDs) based on the hydrophobic interaction between the chiral chains and the oleic acid-stabilized QDs, which have been designated as (S)-1810-QDs. The fluorescence spectrum and liquidity of thermal control demonstrate the fluorescence properties and the fluidic behavior of (S)-1810-QDs in the solvent-free state. Especially, (S)-1810-QDs exhibit a highly chiral-selective response toward (1R, 2S)-2-amino-1,2-diphenyl ethanol. It is anticipated that this study will facilitate the construction of smart chiral fluidic sensors. More importantly, (S)-1810-QDs can become an attractive material for chiral separation. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Asymmetric polymerisation in liquid crystals and resultant electro-chiroptical effect: Structure organising polymerisation and chiral charge carrier ''chiralion''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goto, Hiromasa

2014-01-01

Electrochemical synthesis in liquid crystal (LC) affords conducting polymers having LC molecular order and electro-activity. The polymerisation method can be referred to as structure organising polymerisation (SOP). The optical textures of the polymers thus prepared appear very similar to that of the LC electrolyte solution used for the polymerisation. Especially, polymers prepared in cholesteric LC (chiral LC) having structural chirality show doping-dedoping (redox) driven change in chiroptical activity (controllable circular dichroism and optical rotation), as e lectro-chiroptical effect . The polymer films exhibit interference colour and electrochemically driven refractive index modulations. The chiroptical activity of the polymer prepared in cholesteric LC comes from axial chirality of the helical structure

Chirality and helicity of poly-benzyl-L-glutamate in liquid crystals and a wave structure that mimics collagen helicity in crimp

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vidal Benedicto de Campos

2001-01-01

Full Text Available Ideal biocompatible polymers must show a mimetic superstructure with biological supra-organization. Collagen-rich structures like tendons and ligaments are materials with various levels of order, from molecules to bundles of fibers, which affect their biomechanical properties and cellular interactions. Poly-benzyl-L-glutamate (PBLG displaying helicity was used here to test the development of wave-like structures as those occurring in collagen fibers. Birefringence of PBLG under various crystallization conditions was studied with a lambda/4 compensator according to Sénarmont. Qualitative observations were plainly sufficient to conclude that the PBLG fibrils were supra-organized helically as a chiral object. During crystallization stretched PBLG formed a helical superstructure with characteristic striation resembling waves (crimp. Supported by optical anisotropy findings, a twisted grain boundary liquid crystal type is proposed as a transition phase in the formation of the PBLG chiral object. A similarity with the wavy organization (crimp of collagen bundles is proposed.

Effect of a Polymercaptan Material on the Electro-Optical Properties of Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystal Films

OpenAIRE

Yujian Sun; Cuihong Zhang; Le Zhou; Hua Fang; Jianhua Huang; Haipeng Ma; Yi Zhang; Jie Yang; Lan-Ying Zhang; Ping Song; Yanzi Gao; Jiumei Xiao; Fasheng Li; Kexuan Li

2016-01-01

Polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films were prepared by the ultraviolet-light-induced polymerization of photopolymerizable monomers in nematic liquid crystal/chiral dopant/thiol-acrylate reaction monomer composites. The effects of the chiral dopant and crosslinking agents on the electro-optical properties of the PDLC films were systematically investigate. While added the chiral dopant S811 into the PDLC films, the initial off-state transmittance of the films was decreased. It was found...

Bulk chirality effect for symmetric bistable switching of liquid crystals on topologically self-patterned degenerate anchoring surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Min-Kyu; Joo, Kyung-Il; Kim, Hak-Rin

2017-06-26

We demonstrate a bistable switching liquid crystal (LC) mode utilizing a topologically self-structured dual-groove surface for degenerated easy axes of LC anchoring. In our study, the effect of the bulk elastic distortion of the LC directors on the bistable anchoring surface is theoretically analyzed for balanced bistable states based on a free energy diagram. By adjusting bulk LC chirality, we developed ideally symmetric and stable bistable anchoring and switching properties, which can be driven by a low in-plane pulsed field of about 0.7 V/µm. The fabricated device has a contrast ratio of 196:1.

Photonics of liquid-crystal structures: A review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palto, S. P., E-mail: palto@online.ru; Blinov, L M; Barnik, M I; Lazarev, V V; Umanskii, B A; Shtykov, N M [Russian Academy of Sciences, Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography (Russian Federation)

2011-07-15

The original results of studies of the electro-optical and laser effects which have been performed at the Laboratory of Liquid Crystals of the Institute of Crystallography, Russian Academy of Sciences, over the last few years are reviewed. Cholesteric liquid crystals as vivid representatives of photonic structures and their behavior in an electric field are considered in detail. The formation of higher harmonics in the periodic distribution of the director field in a helical liquid crystal structure and, correspondingly, the new (anharmonic) mode of electro-optical effects are discussed. Another group of studies is devoted to bistable light switching by an electric field in chiral nematics. Polarization diffraction gratings controlled by an electric field are also considered. The results of studies devoted to microlasers on various photonic structures with cholesteric and nematic liquid crystals are considered in detail. Particular attention is given to the new regime: leaky-mode lasing. Designs of liquid crystal light amplifiers and their polarization, field, and spectral characteristics are considered in the last section.

Chiral discotics; expression and amplification of chirality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brunsveld, L.; Meijer, E.W.; Rowan, A.E.; Nolte, R.J.M.; Denmark, S.E.; Nolte, R.J.M.; Meijer, E.W.

2003-01-01

In this contribution, chirality and discotic liquid crystals are discussed as a tool for studying the self-assembly of these molecules, both in solution and in the solid state. Therefore, the objective of this chapter is to summarize and elucidate how molecular chirality can be expressed in discotic

Thin film polarizer and color filter based on photo-polymerizable nematic liquid crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammadimasoudi, Mohammad; Neyts, Kristiaan; Beeckman, Jeroen

2015-03-01

We present a method to fabricate a thin film color filter based on a mixture of photo-polymerizable liquid crystal and chiral dopant. A chiral nematic liquid crystal layer reflects light for a certain wavelength interval Δλ (= Δn.P) with the period and Δn the birefringence of the liquid crystal. The reflection band is determined by the chiral dopant concentration. The bandwidth is limited to 80nm and the reflectance is at most 50% for unpolarized incident light. The thin color filter is interesting for innovative applications like polarizer-free reflective displays, polarization-independent devices, stealth technologies, or smart switchable reflective windows to control solar light and heat. The reflected light has strong color saturation without absorption because of the sharp band edges. A thin film polarizer is developed by using a mixture of photo-polymerizable liquid crystal and color-neutral dye. The fabricated thin film absorbs light that is polarized parallel to the c axis of the LC. The obtained polarization ratio is 80% for a film of only 12 μm. The thin film polarizer and the color filter feature excellent film characteristics without domains and can be detached from the substrate which is useful for e.g. flexible substrates.

New chiral liquid crystal with unconventional dioxane terminal unit

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Perkowski, P.; Bubnov, Alexej; Mrukiewicz, M.; Pociecha, D.; Piecek, W.; Hamplová, Věra; Kašpar, Miroslav

2014-01-01

Roč. 87, 10-11 (2014), s. 1024-1037 ISSN 0141-1594 R&D Projects: GA MŠk 7AMB13PL041; GA MŠk(CZ) LD14007; GA MŠk(CZ) 7AMB14PL035; GA ČR GA13-14133S Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) M100101211; AVČR(CZ) M100101204; EU - ICT (XE) COST Action IC1208 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : chiral liquid crysta * pentaglyform unit * structural properties * smectic phase * hexagonal ordering * self-assembling Subject RIV: JJ - Other Materials Impact factor: 0.954, year: 2014

Bistable switching in dual-frequency liquid crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palto, S. P., E-mail: palto@online.ru; Barnik, M I [Russian Academy of Sciences, Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography (Russian Federation)

2006-06-15

Various bistable switching modes in nematic liquid crystals with frequency inversion of the sign of dielectric anisotropy are revealed and investigated. Switching between states with different helicoidal distributions of the director field of a liquid crystal, as well as between uniform and helicoidal states, is realized by dual-frequency waveforms of a driving voltage. A distinctive feature of the dual-frequency switching is that the uniform planar distribution of the director field may correspond to a thermodynamically equilibrium state, and the chirality of an LC is not a necessary condition for switching to a helicoidal state.

Asymmetric Michael Addition Mediated by Chiral Ionic Liquids.

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Yumiko

2018-06-01

Chiral ionic liquids with a focus on their applications in asymmetric Michael additions and related reactions were reviewed. The examples were classified on the basis of the mode of asymmetric induction (e.g., external induction/non-covalent interaction or internal induction/covalent bond formation), the roles in reactions (as a solvent or catalyst), and their structural features (e.g., imidazolium-based chiral cations, other chiral oniums; proline derivatives). Most of the reactions with high chiral induction are Michael addition of ketones or aldehydes to chalcones or nitrostyrenes where proline-derived chiral ionic liquids catalyze the reaction through enamine/ iminium formation. Many reports demonstrate the recyclability of ionic liquid-tagged pyrrolidines.

Lateral shifting in one dimensional chiral photonic crystal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

You Yuan, E-mail: yctcyouyuan@163.com [School of Physics and Electronics, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng, 224002 Jiangsu (China); Chen Changyuan [School of Physics and Electronics, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng, 224002 Jiangsu (China)

2012-07-01

We report the lateral shifts of the transmitted waves in a one dimensional chiral photonic crystal by using the stationary-phase approach. It is revealed that two kinds of lateral shifts are observed due to the existence of cross coupling in chiral materials, which is different from what has been observed in previous non-chiral photonic crystals. Unlike the chiral slab, the positions of lateral shift peaks are closely related to the band edges of band gap characteristics of periodic structure and lateral shifts can be positive as well as negative. Besides, the lateral shifts show a strong dependence on the chiral factor, which varies the lateral shift peaks in both magnitudes and positions. These features are desirable for future device applications.

Lateral shifting in one dimensional chiral photonic crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

You Yuan; Chen Changyuan

2012-01-01

We report the lateral shifts of the transmitted waves in a one dimensional chiral photonic crystal by using the stationary-phase approach. It is revealed that two kinds of lateral shifts are observed due to the existence of cross coupling in chiral materials, which is different from what has been observed in previous non-chiral photonic crystals. Unlike the chiral slab, the positions of lateral shift peaks are closely related to the band edges of band gap characteristics of periodic structure and lateral shifts can be positive as well as negative. Besides, the lateral shifts show a strong dependence on the chiral factor, which varies the lateral shift peaks in both magnitudes and positions. These features are desirable for future device applications.

Asymmetric Michael Addition Mediated by Chiral Ionic Liquids

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Yumiko

2018-01-01

Chiral ionic liquids with a focus on their applications in asymmetric Michael additions and related reactions were reviewed. The examples were classified on the basis of the mode of asymmetric induction (e.g., external induction/non-covalent interaction or internal induction/covalent bond formation), the roles in reactions (as a solvent or catalyst), and their structural features (e.g., imidazolium-based chiral cations, other chiral oniums; proline derivatives). Most of the reactions with high chiral induction are Michael addition of ketones or aldehydes to chalcones or nitrostyrenes where proline-derived chiral ionic liquids catalyze the reaction through enamine/ iminium formation. Many reports demonstrate the recyclability of ionic liquid-tagged pyrrolidines. PMID:29861702

Chiral separation of substituted phenylalanine analogues using chiral palladium phosphine complexes with enantioselective liquid-liquid extraction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verkuijl, B.J.V.; Schuur, B.; Minnaard, A.J.; Vries, de J.G.; Feringa, B.L.

2010-01-01

Chiral palladium phosphine complexes have been employed in the chiral separation of amino acids and phenylalanine analogues in particular. The use of (S)-xylyl-BINAP as a ligand for the palladium complex in enantioselective liquid–liquid extraction allowed the separation of the phenylalanine

Preparation and thermo-optical characteristics of a smart polymer-stabilized liquid crystal thin film based on smectic A–chiral nematic phase transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Jian; Wang, Huihui; Cao, Hui; Ding, Hangjun; Yang, Zhou; Yang, Huai; Wang, Ling; Xie, Hui; Luo, Xueyao; Xiao, Jiumei

2014-01-01

A smart polymer stabilized liquid crystal (PSLC) thin film with temperature-controllable light transmittance was prepared based on a smectic-A (SmA)–chiral nematic (N*) phase transition, and then the effect of the composition and the preparation condition of the PSLC film on its thermo-optical (T-O) characteristics has been investigated in detail. Within the temperature range of the SmA phase, the PSLC shows a strong opaque state due to the focal conic alignment of liquid crystal (LC) molecules, while the film exhibits a transparent state result from the parallel alignment of N* phase LC molecules at a higher temperature. Importantly, the PSLC films with different temperature of phase transition and contrast ratio can be prepared by changing the composition of photo-polymerizable monomer/LC/chiral dopant. According to the competition between the polymerization of the curable monomers and the diffusion of LC molecules, the ultraviolet (UV) curing surrounding temperature and the intensity of UV irradiation play a critical role in tuning the size of the polymer network meshes, which in turn influence the contrast ratio and the switching speed of the film. Our observations are expected to pave the way for preparing smart PSLC thin films for applications in areas of smart windows, thermo-detectors and other information recording devices. (paper)

Chiral ionic liquids in chromatographic and electrophoretic separations.

Science.gov (United States)

Kapnissi-Christodoulou, Constantina P; Stavrou, Ioannis J; Mavroudi, Maria C

2014-10-10

This report provides an overview of the application of chiral ionic liquids (CILs) in separation technology, and particularly in capillary electrophoresis and both gas and liquid chromatography. There is a large number of CILs that have been synthesized and designed as chiral agents. However, only a few have successfully been applied in separation technology. Even though this application of CILs is still in its early stages, the scientific interest is increasing dramatically. This article is focused on the use of CILs as chiral selectors, background electrolyte additives, chiral ligands and chiral stationary phases in electrophoretic and chromatographic techniques. Different examples of CILs, which contain either a chiral cation, a chiral anion or both, are presented in this review article, and their major advantages along with their potential applications in chiral electrophoretic and chromatographic recognition are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Invited review liquid crystal models of biological materials and silk spinning.

Science.gov (United States)

Rey, Alejandro D; Herrera-Valencia, Edtson E

2012-06-01

A review of thermodynamic, materials science, and rheological liquid crystal models is presented and applied to a wide range of biological liquid crystals, including helicoidal plywoods, biopolymer solutions, and in vivo liquid crystals. The distinguishing characteristics of liquid crystals (self-assembly, packing, defects, functionalities, processability) are discussed in relation to biological materials and the strong correspondence between different synthetic and biological materials is established. Biological polymer processing based on liquid crystalline precursors includes viscoelastic flow to form and shape fibers. Viscoelastic models for nematic and chiral nematics are reviewed and discussed in terms of key parameters that facilitate understanding and quantitative information from optical textures and rheometers. It is shown that viscoelastic modeling the silk spinning process using liquid crystal theories sheds light on textural transitions in the duct of spiders and silk worms as well as on tactoidal drops and interfacial structures. The range and consistency of the predictions demonstrates that the use of mesoscopic liquid crystal models is another tool to develop the science and biomimetic applications of mesogenic biological soft matter. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Aqueous cholesteric liquid crystals using uncharged rodlike polypeptides. Polypeptide vesicles by conformation-specific assembly. Ordered chiral macroporous hybrid silica-polypeptide composites

Science.gov (United States)

Bellomo, Enrico Giuseppe

2005-07-01

Aqueous cholesteric liquid crystals using uncharged rodlike polypeptides . The aqueous, lyotropic liquid-crystalline phase behavior of an alpha helical polypeptide, has been studied using optical microscopy and X-ray scattering. Solutions of optically pure polypeptide were found to form cholesteric liquid crystals at volume fractions that decreased with increasing average chain length. At very high volume fractions, the formation of a hexagonal mesophase was observed. The pitch of the cholesteric phase could be varied by a mixture of enantiomeric samples, where the pitch increased as the mixture approached equimolar. The cholesteric phases could be untwisted, using either magnetic field or shear flow, into nematic phases, which relaxed into cholesterics upon removal of field or shear. We have found that the phase diagram of this polypeptide in aqueous solution parallels that of poly(gamma-benzyl glutamate) in organic solvents, thus providing a useful system for liquid-crystal applications requiring water as solvent. Polypeptide vesicles by conformation-specific assembly. We have found that block copolymers composed of polypeptide segments provide significant advantages in controlling both the function and supramolecular structure of bioinspired self-assemblies. Incorporation of the stable chain conformations found in proteins into block copolymers was found to provide an additional element of control, beyond amphiphilicity and composition that defines self-assembled architecture. The abundance of functionality present in amino acids, and the ease by which they can be incorporated into these materials, also provides a powerful mechanism to impart block copolypeptides with function. This combination of structure and function work synergistically to enable significant advantages in the preparation of therapeutic agents as well as provide insight into design of self-assemblies beginning to approach the complexity of natural structures such as virus capsids. Ordered

Synthesis and Self-Assembly of Chiral Cylindrical Molecular Complexes: Functional Heterogeneous Liquid-Solid Materials Formed by Helicene Oligomers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nozomi Saito

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Chiral cylindrical molecular complexes of homo- and hetero-double-helices derived from helicene oligomers self-assemble in solution, providing functional heterogeneous liquid-solid materials. Gels and liotropic liquid crystals are formed by fibril self-assembly in solution; molecular monolayers and fibril films are formed by self-assembly on solid surfaces; gels containing gold nanoparticles emit light; silica nanoparticles aggregate and adsorb double-helices. Notable dynamics appears during self-assembly, including multistep self-assembly, solid surface catalyzed double-helix formation, sigmoidal and stairwise kinetics, molecular recognition of nanoparticles, discontinuous self-assembly, materials clocking, chiral symmetry breaking and homogeneous-heterogeneous transitions. These phenomena are derived from strong intercomplex interactions of chiral cylindrical molecular complexes.

de Vries liquid crystals based on a chiral 5-phenylpyrimidine benzoate core with a tri- and tetra-carbosilane backbone

Science.gov (United States)

Sreenilayam, S. P.; Rodriguez-Lojo, D.; Agra-Kooijman, D. M.; Vij, J. K.; Panov, V. P.; Panov, A.; Fisch, M. R.; Kumar, Satyendra; Stevenson, P. J.

2018-02-01

New chiral de Vries smectic liquid-crystalline compounds are designed, synthesized, and investigated for perspective applications in defect-free bistable surface-stabilized ferroelectric liquid-crystal displays. In these compounds, a 5-phenyl-pyrimidine benzoate core is terminated on one side by a tri- or tetra-carbosilane group linked through an alkoxy group and an alkyl spacer and on the opposite side terminated by a chiral 2-octanol group. The stereogenic center contains either a methyl or perfluoromethyl functional group. These compounds exhibit Iso-Sm A*-Sm C*-Sm X -Cr phases under cooling from the isotropic state. Measurements of the temperature-dependent smectic layer spacing by x-ray diffraction experiments combined with the measured apparent optical tilt angle and the birefringence reveal that Sm A* phase in these compounds is of the de Vries type. In addition, the chiral compound with a tetra-carbosilane backbone, DR277, exhibits good de Vries properties with the Sm C* phase exhibited over a wide temperature range. By varying the carbosilane end group, the de Vries properties are enhanced, that is, the layer shrinkage of ˜1.9 % for the tri-carbosilane DR276 is reduced to ˜0.9 % for tetra-carbosilane DR277 at 10°C below Sm A* to Sm C* transition temperature, TAC. For DR277, the reduction factor R ≈0.22 for T =(TAC-10 )°C is reasonably low and the apparent optical tilt angle θapp=35.1°, hence this compound is a "good de Vries smectic" LC. Therefore, synthesis of the chiral mesogen with an even higher number of carbosilane groups may lead to a further reduction or even zero-layer shrinkage exhibited at TAC with Sm C* phase extending over a wide temperature range close to the room temperature for perspective suitability in device applications. Our results for 5-phenyl-pyrimidine benzoate core-based compounds support a recently drawn conclusion by Schubert et al. [J. Mater. Chem. C 4, 8483 (2016), 10.1039/C6TC03120J] from a different compound, namely

Controlling chirality with helix inversion in cholesteric liquid crystals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Katsonis, Nathalie Hélène; Lacaze, E.; Ferrarini, A.

2012-01-01

The helical organization of cholesteric liquid crystals is omnipresent in living matter. Achieving control over the structure of the cholesteric helix consequently holds great potential for developing stimuli-responsive materials matching the level of sophistication of biological systems. In

Phosphoric acids as amplifiers of molecular chirality in liquid crystalline media

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eelkema, R; Feringa, BL

2006-01-01

A new system for the double amplification of the molecular chirality of simple chiral amines in achiral liquid crystalline media is described. It involves a conformationally flexible phosphoric acid based receptor that by binding to chiral amines induces chirality in the liquid crystalline matrix.

Active thermal fine laser tuning in a broad spectral range and optical properties of cholesteric liquid crystal.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeong, Mi-Yun; Kwak, Keumcheol

2016-11-20

In this study, we achieved active fine laser tuning in a broad spectral range with dye-doped cholesteric liquid crystal wedge-type cells through temperature control. The spatial pitch gradient of each position of the wedge cell at room temperature was almost maintained after developing a temperature gradient. To achieve the maximum tuning range, the chiral dopant concentration, thickness, thickness gradient, and temperature gradient on the wedge cell should be matched properly. In order to understand the laser tuning mechanism for temperature change, we studied the temperature dependence of optical properties of the photonic bandgap of cholesteric liquid crystals. In our cholesteric liquid crystal samples, when temperature was increased, photonic bandgaps were shifted toward blue, while the width of the photonic bandgap was decreased, regardless of whether the helicity was left-handed or right-handed. This is mainly due to the combination of decreased refractive indices, higher molecular anisotropy of chiral molecules, and increased chiral molecular solubility. We envisage that this kind of study will prove useful in the development of practical active tunable CLC laser devices.

Generalized Liquid Crystals: Giant Fluctuations and the Vestigial Chiral Order of I , O , and T Matter

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ke; Nissinen, Jaakko; Slager, Robert-Jan; Wu, Kai; Zaanen, Jan

2016-10-01

The physics of nematic liquid crystals has been the subject of intensive research since the late 19th century. However, the focus of this pursuit has been centered around uniaxial and biaxial nematics associated with constituents bearing a D∞ h or D2 h symmetry, respectively. In view of general symmetries, however, these are singularly special since nematic order can in principle involve any point-group symmetry. Given the progress in tailoring nanoparticles with particular shapes and interactions, this vast family of "generalized nematics" might become accessible in the laboratory. Little is known because the order parameter theories associated with the highly symmetric point groups are remarkably complicated, involving tensor order parameters of high rank. Here, we show that the generic features of the statistical physics of such systems can be studied in a highly flexible and efficient fashion using a mathematical tool borrowed from high-energy physics: discrete non-Abelian gauge theory. Explicitly, we construct a family of lattice gauge models encapsulating nematic ordering of general three-dimensional point-group symmetries. We find that the most symmetrical generalized nematics are subjected to thermal fluctuations of unprecedented severity. As a result, novel forms of fluctuation phenomena become possible. In particular, we demonstrate that a vestigial phase carrying no more than chiral order becomes ubiquitous departing from high point-group symmetry chiral building blocks, such as I , O , and T symmetric matter.

Optical monitoring of gases with cholesteric liquid crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Yang; Pacheco, Katherine; Bastiaansen, Cees W M; Broer, Dirk J; Sijbesma, Rint P

2010-03-10

A new approach to optical monitors for gases is introduced using cholesteric liquid crystals doped with reactive chiral compounds. The approach is based on cholesteric pitch length changes caused by a change in helical twisting power (HTP) of the chiral dopants upon reaction with the analyte. The concept is demonstrated for monitoring carbon dioxide via reversible carbamate formation and for oxygen using the irreversible oxidation of a chiral dithiol to a disulfide. Monitoring of CO(2) was achieved by doping a commercial cholesteric liquid crystalline mixture (E7) with 1.6% mol of the 1:1 complex of an optically pure diamine with a TADDOL derivative. Upon exposure to carbon dioxide, the reflection band of a thin film of the mixture shifted from 637 to 495 nm as a consequence of dissociation of the complex after carbamate formation of the diamine. An O(2) monitor was obtained by doping E7 with a chiral binaphthyl dithiol derivative and a nonresponsive codopant. The reflection band of the oxygen monitor film changed from 542 to 600 nm, due to the conformational change accompanying oxidation of the dithiol to disulfide. These monitoring mechanisms hold promise for application in smart packaging, where carbon dioxide and oxygen are of special interest because of their roles in food preservation.

Alignment structures in ferroelectric liquid crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Islam, N.U

1998-07-01

Although for many years liquid crystals were of purely scientific interest, they have now become ubiquitous in everyday life. The use of the nematic liquid crystal phase in flat panel display applications has been the main factor in this popularity. However, with the advent of the SuperTwist Nematic (STN) device, the limits to which this phase could be exploited for display applications was perhaps reached. With the discovery by Clark et al. of the Surface Stabilised Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal (SSFLC) configuration, the possibility arose of using chiral smectic liquid crystals to create large area, passively addressed, fast switching, flat panel displays. Unfortunately, the structures that form within smectic liquid crystals, and the dynamics of the switching within these, are still not fully understood. In this thesis we address the former of these, making a detailed the study of the structures that form within tilted smectic liquid crystal devices. We present here the first complete theoretical and experimental study of various different ferroelectric liquid crystal materials, where we employed theoretical models based on a simple set of assumptions to understand the behaviour of a set of increasingly complex experimental systems. We started with the simplest of these, Freely Suspended Smectic Films (FSSFs) and then worked with progressively more realistic systems in the form of homeotropically, and later, homogeneously aligned liquid crystal cells. The equilibrium structures that form get particularly complex in the last case, taking the form of tilted and chevron layering structures. In each of these cases, the predictions of the modelling are compared with our experimental results. Further, we present here the first model of the chevron cusp that seeks to include the effects of biaxiality in the S{sub C} phase. We also present a model that seeks to analyse the stability of the chevron layering structure and its relationship with tilted layers. This includes

Alignment structures in ferroelectric liquid crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Islam, N.U.

1998-01-01

Although for many years liquid crystals were of purely scientific interest, they have now become ubiquitous in everyday life. The use of the nematic liquid crystal phase in flat panel display applications has been the main factor in this popularity. However, with the advent of the SuperTwist Nematic (STN) device, the limits to which this phase could be exploited for display applications was perhaps reached. With the discovery by Clark et al. of the Surface Stabilised Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal (SSFLC) configuration, the possibility arose of using chiral smectic liquid crystals to create large area, passively addressed, fast switching, flat panel displays. Unfortunately, the structures that form within smectic liquid crystals, and the dynamics of the switching within these, are still not fully understood. In this thesis we address the former of these, making a detailed the study of the structures that form within tilted smectic liquid crystal devices. We present here the first complete theoretical and experimental study of various different ferroelectric liquid crystal materials, where we employed theoretical models based on a simple set of assumptions to understand the behaviour of a set of increasingly complex experimental systems. We started with the simplest of these, Freely Suspended Smectic Films (FSSFs) and then worked with progressively more realistic systems in the form of homeotropically, and later, homogeneously aligned liquid crystal cells. The equilibrium structures that form get particularly complex in the last case, taking the form of tilted and chevron layering structures. In each of these cases, the predictions of the modelling are compared with our experimental results. Further, we present here the first model of the chevron cusp that seeks to include the effects of biaxiality in the S C phase. We also present a model that seeks to analyse the stability of the chevron layering structure and its relationship with tilted layers. This includes an

Liquid crystals in micron-scale droplets, shells and fibers

Science.gov (United States)

Urbanski, Martin; Reyes, Catherine G.; Noh, JungHyun; Sharma, Anshul; Geng, Yong; Subba Rao Jampani, Venkata; Lagerwall, Jan P. F.

2017-04-01

The extraordinary responsiveness and large diversity of self-assembled structures of liquid crystals are well documented and they have been extensively used in devices like displays. For long, this application route strongly influenced academic research, which frequently focused on the performance of liquid crystals in display-like geometries, typically between flat, rigid substrates of glass or similar solids. Today a new trend is clearly visible, where liquid crystals confined within curved, often soft and flexible, interfaces are in focus. Innovation in microfluidic technology has opened for high-throughput production of liquid crystal droplets or shells with exquisite monodispersity, and modern characterization methods allow detailed analysis of complex director arrangements. The introduction of electrospinning in liquid crystal research has enabled encapsulation in optically transparent polymeric cylinders with very small radius, allowing studies of confinement effects that were not easily accessible before. It also opened the prospect of functionalizing textile fibers with liquid crystals in the core, triggering activities that target wearable devices with true textile form factor for seamless integration in clothing. Together, these developments have brought issues center stage that might previously have been considered esoteric, like the interaction of topological defects on spherical surfaces, saddle-splay curvature-induced spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking, or the non-trivial shape changes of curved liquid crystal elastomers with non-uniform director fields that undergo a phase transition to an isotropic state. The new research thrusts are motivated equally by the intriguing soft matter physics showcased by liquid crystals in these unconventional geometries, and by the many novel application opportunities that arise when we can reproducibly manufacture these systems on a commercial scale. This review attempts to summarize the current understanding of

Liquid crystals in micron-scale droplets, shells and fibers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urbanski, Martin; Reyes, Catherine G; Noh, JungHyun; Sharma, Anshul; Geng, Yong; Subba Rao Jampani, Venkata; Lagerwall, Jan P F

2017-01-01

The extraordinary responsiveness and large diversity of self-assembled structures of liquid crystals are well documented and they have been extensively used in devices like displays. For long, this application route strongly influenced academic research, which frequently focused on the performance of liquid crystals in display-like geometries, typically between flat, rigid substrates of glass or similar solids. Today a new trend is clearly visible, where liquid crystals confined within curved, often soft and flexible, interfaces are in focus. Innovation in microfluidic technology has opened for high-throughput production of liquid crystal droplets or shells with exquisite monodispersity, and modern characterization methods allow detailed analysis of complex director arrangements. The introduction of electrospinning in liquid crystal research has enabled encapsulation in optically transparent polymeric cylinders with very small radius, allowing studies of confinement effects that were not easily accessible before. It also opened the prospect of functionalizing textile fibers with liquid crystals in the core, triggering activities that target wearable devices with true textile form factor for seamless integration in clothing. Together, these developments have brought issues center stage that might previously have been considered esoteric, like the interaction of topological defects on spherical surfaces, saddle-splay curvature-induced spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking, or the non-trivial shape changes of curved liquid crystal elastomers with non-uniform director fields that undergo a phase transition to an isotropic state. The new research thrusts are motivated equally by the intriguing soft matter physics showcased by liquid crystals in these unconventional geometries, and by the many novel application opportunities that arise when we can reproducibly manufacture these systems on a commercial scale. This review attempts to summarize the current understanding of

Electrically tuned photoluminescence in large pitch cholesteric liquid crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Middha, Manju; Kumar, Rishi; Raina, K. K.

2014-01-01

Cholesteric liquid crystals are known as 1-D photonic band gap materials due to their periodic helical supramolecular structure and larger birefringence. Depending upon the helical twisted pitch length, they give the characteristic contrast due to selective Bragg reflections when viewed through the polarizing optical microscope and hence affect the electro-optic properties. So the optimization of chiral dopant concentration in nematic liquid crystal leads to control the transmission of polarized light through the microscope. Hence transmission based polarizing optical microscope is used for the characterization of helical pitch length in the optical texture. The unwinding of helical pitch was observed with the application of electric field which affects the intensity of photoluminescence

Generalized Liquid Crystals: Giant Fluctuations and the Vestigial Chiral Order of I, O, and T Matter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ke Liu (刘科 子竞

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The physics of nematic liquid crystals has been the subject of intensive research since the late 19th century. However, the focus of this pursuit has been centered around uniaxial and biaxial nematics associated with constituents bearing a D_{∞h} or D_{2h} symmetry, respectively. In view of general symmetries, however, these are singularly special since nematic order can in principle involve any point-group symmetry. Given the progress in tailoring nanoparticles with particular shapes and interactions, this vast family of “generalized nematics” might become accessible in the laboratory. Little is known because the order parameter theories associated with the highly symmetric point groups are remarkably complicated, involving tensor order parameters of high rank. Here, we show that the generic features of the statistical physics of such systems can be studied in a highly flexible and efficient fashion using a mathematical tool borrowed from high-energy physics: discrete non-Abelian gauge theory. Explicitly, we construct a family of lattice gauge models encapsulating nematic ordering of general three-dimensional point-group symmetries. We find that the most symmetrical generalized nematics are subjected to thermal fluctuations of unprecedented severity. As a result, novel forms of fluctuation phenomena become possible. In particular, we demonstrate that a vestigial phase carrying no more than chiral order becomes ubiquitous departing from high point-group symmetry chiral building blocks, such as I, O, and T symmetric matter.

Scanning conoscopy measurement of the optical properties of chiral smectic liquid crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bitri, N. [Laboratoire de Physique de la Matiere Molle Faculte des Sciences de Tunis, 2092 El Manar TUNIS (Tunisia); Centre de Recherches Paul Pascal, 115, Av. Albert-Schweitzer, 33600 Pessac (France)], E-mail: bitri@crpp-bordeaux.cnrs.fr; Gharbi, A. [Laboratoire de Physique de la Matiere Molle Faculte des Sciences de Tunis, 2092 El Manar TUNIS (Tunisia); Marcerou, J.P. [Centre de Recherches Paul Pascal, 115, Av. Albert-Schweitzer, 33600 Pessac (France)

2008-11-30

We report on a new scanning conoscopic method which, by rotating the sample and analyzing the ellipticity of transmitted light, provides an accurate tool to measure the temperature dependence of the two indices n{sub e}, n{sub o} and of the optical activity for uniaxial liquid crystals. Their determination is useful to give informations about the tilt angle {theta} and the macroscopic helicity in the different phases and then on the structures of the liquid crystal phases. We tested the method with the reference compound (99% S, 1% R)MHPOBC.

Effect of a Polymercaptan Material on the Electro-Optical Properties of Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystal Films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yujian Sun

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC films were prepared by the ultraviolet-light-induced polymerization of photopolymerizable monomers in nematic liquid crystal/chiral dopant/thiol-acrylate reaction monomer composites. The effects of the chiral dopant and crosslinking agents on the electro-optical properties of the PDLC films were systematically investigate. While added the chiral dopant S811 into the PDLC films, the initial off-state transmittance of the films was decreased. It was found that the weight ratio among acrylate monomers, thiol monomer PETMP and the polymercaptan Capcure 3-800 showed great influence on the properties of the fabricated PDLC films because of the existence of competition between thiol-acrylate reaction and acrylate monomer polymerization reaction. While adding polymercaptans curing agent Capcure 3-800 with appropriate concentration into the PDLC system, lower driven voltage and higher contrast ratio were achieved. This made the polymer network and electro-optical properties of the PDLC films easily tunable by the introduction of the thiol monomers.

Effect of a Polymercaptan Material on the Electro-Optical Properties of Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystal Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Yujian; Zhang, Cuihong; Zhou, Le; Fang, Hua; Huang, Jianhua; Ma, Haipeng; Zhang, Yi; Yang, Jie; Zhang, Lan-Ying; Song, Ping; Gao, Yanzi; Xiao, Jiumei; Li, Fasheng; Li, Kexuan

2016-12-30

Polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films were prepared by the ultraviolet-light-induced polymerization of photopolymerizable monomers in nematic liquid crystal/chiral dopant/thiol-acrylate reaction monomer composites. The effects of the chiral dopant and crosslinking agents on the electro-optical properties of the PDLC films were systematically investigate. While added the chiral dopant S811 into the PDLC films, the initial off-state transmittance of the films was decreased. It was found that the weight ratio among acrylate monomers, thiol monomer PETMP and the polymercaptan Capcure 3-800 showed great influence on the properties of the fabricated PDLC films because of the existence of competition between thiol-acrylate reaction and acrylate monomer polymerization reaction. While adding polymercaptans curing agent Capcure 3-800 with appropriate concentration into the PDLC system, lower driven voltage and higher contrast ratio were achieved. This made the polymer network and electro-optical properties of the PDLC films easily tunable by the introduction of the thiol monomers.

Chirality in nonlinear optics and optical switching

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meijer, E.W.; Feringa, B.L.

1993-01-01

Chirality in molecular opto-electronics is limited sofar to the use of optically active liquid crystals and a number of optical phenomena are related to the helical macroscopic structure obtained by using one enantiomer, only. In this paper, the use of chirality in nonlinear optics and optical

Dynamic cholesteric liquid crystal superstructures photoaligned by one-step polarization holography

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Sen-Sen; Shen, Yuan; Chang, Zhen-Ni; Li, Wen-Song; Xu, Yan-Chao; Fan, Xing-Yu; Chen, Lu-Jian

2017-12-01

A convenient approach to modulate the fingerprint textures of methyl red (MR) doped cholesteric liquid crystals by asymmetric photoalignment in the green-light waveband is presented, resulting in the generation of voltage-controllable helical superstructures. The interaction between the MR molecules and the incident light polarization determines the initial twisted planar geometry, providing a multivariant control over the stripe directions of fingerprint textures by applying a proper electric field. The key factors for precise manipulation of fingerprint stripes in a predictable and rewritable manner are analyzed theoretically and investigated experimentally, which involves the alignment asymmetry, the ratio of cell gap to natural pitch length, and the chirality of chiral dopant. Dynamic periodic fingerprint textures in shapes of dashed curve and dashed line are further demonstrated by utilizing a facile one-step polarization holography process using two beams with orthogonal circular and orthogonal linear polarizations, respectively. It is believed that the practical approach described in this study would enrich the research contents of self-assembled hierarchical superstructures using soft liquid crystal building blocks.

Insights on some chiral smectic phases

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

journal of. August 2003 physics pp. 285–295. Insights on some chiral ... Liquid crystals; smectics; chirality; frustrated phases; twist grain boundary phases. ... molecules are more or less packed in layers and smectic phases can be seen ..... (imaging plate or CCD camera) which was located at about 300 mm from the sample.

Characterization of Crystal Chirality in Amino Acids Using Low-Frequency Raman Spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Aviv, Hagit; Nemtsov, Irena; Mastai, Yitzhak; Tischler, Yaakov R

2017-10-19

We present a new method for differentiating racemic crystals from enantiopure crystals. Recently, developments in optical filters have enabled the facile use of Raman spectroscopy to detect low-frequency vibrational (LFV) modes. Here, for the first time, we use Raman spectroscopy to characterize the LFV modes for crystalline organic materials composed of chiral molecules. The LF-Raman spectra of racemic and enantiopure crystals exhibit a significant variation, which we attribute to different hydrogen-bond networks in the chiral crystal structures. Across a representative set of amino acids, we observed that when comparing racemic versus enantiopure crystals, the available LFV modes and their relative scattering intensity are strong functions of side chain polarity. Thus, LF-Raman can be used as a method that is complementary to the currently used methods for characterizing crystal chirality due to simpler, faster, and more sensitive measurements, along with the small sample size required, which is limited by the laser-beam diameter in the focus.

New banana-type liquid crystal with a methoxy group substituted near the central ring

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kašpar, Miroslav; Hamplová, Věra; Novotná, Vladimíra; Glogarová, Milada; Vaněk, Přemysl

2002-01-01

Roč. 12, - (2002), s. 2221-2224 ISSN 0959-9428 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z1010914 Keywords : bent-shaped liquid crystal * nm-chiral * B 2 phase Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 2.683, year: 2002

Structural Transitions in Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Droplets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Ye; Bukusoglu, Emre; Martínez-González, José A.; Rahimi, Mohammad; Roberts, Tyler F.; Zhang, Rui; Wang, Xiaoguang; Abbott, Nicholas L.; de Pablo, Juan J.

2016-07-26

Confinement of cholesteric liquid crystals (ChLC) into droplets leads to a delicate interplay between elasticity, chirality, and surface energy. In this work, we rely on a combination of theory and experiments to understand the rich morphological behavior that arises from that balance. More specifically, a systematic study of micrometer-sized ChLC droplets is presented as a function of chirality and surface energy (or anchoring). With increasing chirality, a continuous transition is observed from a twisted bipolar structure to a radial spherical structure, all within a narrow range of chirality. During such a transition, a bent structure is predicted by simulations and confirmed by experimental observations. Simulations are also able to capture the dynamics of the quenching process observed in experiments. Consistent with published work, it is found that nanoparticles are attracted to defect regions on the surface of the droplets. For weak anchoring conditions at the nanoparticle surface, ChLC droplets adopt a morphology similar to that of the equilibrium helical phase observed for ChLCs in the bulk. As the anchoring strength increases, a planar bipolar structure arises, followed by a morphological transition to a bent structure. The influence of chirality and surface interactions are discussed in the context of the potential use of ChLC droplets as stimuli-responsive materials for reporting molecular adsorbates.

Lateral shift in one-dimensional quasiperiodic chiral photonic crystal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Da, Jian, E-mail: dajian521@sina.com [Department of Information Engineering, Huaian Senior Vocational and Technical School, Feiyao road, Huaian 223005, Jiangsu Province (China); Mo, Qi, E-mail: moqiyueyang@163.com [School of Software, Yunnan University, Cuihu Bai Road, Kunming City, Yunnan Province 650091 (China); Cheng, Yaokun [Department of Information Engineering, Huaian Senior Vocational and Technical School, Feiyao road, Huaian 223005, Jiangsu Province (China); Liu, Taixiang [Taishan Vocational College of Nursing, Shandong Province 271000 (China)

2015-02-01

We investigate the lateral shift of a one-dimensional quasiperiodic photonic crystal consisting of chiral and conventional dielectric materials. The effect of structural irregularity on lateral shift is evaluated by stationary-phase approach. Our results show that the lateral shift can be modulated by varying the structural irregularity in quasiperiodic structure. Besides, the position of peak in lateral shift spectrum stays sensitive to the chiral factor of chiral materials. In comparison with that of periodic structure, quasiperiodic structure provides an extra degree of freedom to manipulate the lateral shift.

Fabrication of Supramolecular Chirality from Achiral Molecules at the Liquid/Liquid Interface Studied by Second Harmonic Generation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Lu; Zhang, Zhen; Guo, Yuan; Liu, Minghua

2018-01-09

We present the investigation into the supramolecular chirality of 5-octadecyloxy-2-(2-pyridylazo)phenol (PARC18) at water/1,2-dichloroethane interface by second harmonic generation (SHG). We observe that PARC18 molecules form supramolecular chirality through self-assembly at the liquid/liquid interface although they are achiral molecules. The bulk concentration of PARC18 in the organic phase has profound effects on the supramolecular chirality. By increasing bulk concentration, the enantiomeric excess at the interface first grows and then decreases until it eventually vanishes. Further analysis reveals that the enantiomeric excess is determined by the twist angle of PARC18 molecules at the interface rather than their orientational angle. At lower and higher bulk concentrations, the average twist angle of PARC18 molecules approaches zero, and the assemblies are achiral; whereas at medium bulk concentrations, the average twist angle is nonzero, so that the assemblies show supramolecular chirality. We also estimate the coverage of PARC18 molecules at the interface versus the bulk concentration and fit it to Langmuir adsorption model. The result indicates that PARC18 assemblies show strongest supramolecular chirality in a half-full monolayer. These findings highlight the opportunities for precise control of supramolecular chirality at liquid/liquid interfaces by manipulating the bulk concentration.

Nanoparticles in liquid crystals, and liquid crystals in nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

de Pablo, Juan

2015-03-01

Liquid crystals are remarkably sensitive to interfacial interactions. Small perturbations at a liquid crystal interface, for example, can be propagated over relatively long length scales, thereby providing the basis for a wide range of applications that rely on amplification of molecular events into macroscopic observables. Our recent research efforts have focused on the reverse phenomenon; that is, we have sought to manipulate the interfacial assembly of nanoparticles or the organization of surface active molecules by controlling the structure of a liquid crystal. This presentation will consist of a review of the basic principles that are responsible for liquid crystal-mediated interactions, followed by demonstrations of those principles in the context of two types of systems. In the first, a liquid crystal is used to direct the assembly of nanoparticles; through a combination of molecular and continuum models, it is found that minute changes in interfacial energy and particle size lead to liquid-crystal induced attractions that can span multiple orders of magnitude. Theoretical predictions are confirmed by experimental observations, which also suggest that LC-mediated assembly provides an effective means for fabrication of plasmonic devices. In the second type of system, the structure of a liquid crystal is controlled by confinement in submicron droplets. The morphology of the liquid crystal in a drop depends on a delicate balance between bulk and interfacial contributions to the free energy; that balance can be easily perturbed by adsorption of analytes or nanoparticles at the interface, thereby providing the basis for development of hierarchical assembly of responsive, anisotropic materials. Theoretical predictions also indicate that the three-dimensional order of a liquid crystal can be projected onto a two-dimensional interface, and give rise to novel nanostructures that are not found in simple isotropic fluids.

First liquid single crystal elastomer containing lactic acid derivative as chiral co-monomer: synthesis and properties

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Bubnov, Alexej; Domenici, V.; Hamplová, Věra; Kašpar, Miroslav; Zalar, B.

2011-01-01

Roč. 52, č. 20 (2011), s. 4490-4497 ISSN 0032-3861 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA100100911; GA AV ČR(CZ) GA202/09/0047; GA MŠk(CZ) OC10006; GA ČR(CZ) GAP204/11/0723 Grant - others:German Czech bilateral program(XE) D4-CZ5/2010-2011; RFASI(RU) 02.740.11.5166 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100520 Keywords : liquid crystalline elastomer * ferroelectric liquid crystalline monomer * smectic A phase * X-ray diffraction * lactate chiral group * monodomain * polymer Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 3.438, year: 2011

Directed self-assembly of liquid crystalline blue-phases into ideal single-crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-González, Jose A.; Li, Xiao; Sadati, Monirosadat; Zhou, Ye; Zhang, Rui; Nealey, Paul F.; de Pablo, Juan J.

2017-06-01

Chiral nematic liquid crystals are known to form blue phases--liquid states of matter that exhibit ordered cubic arrangements of topological defects. Blue-phase specimens, however, are generally polycrystalline, consisting of randomly oriented domains that limit their performance in applications. A strategy that relies on nano-patterned substrates is presented here for preparation of stable, macroscopic single-crystal blue-phase materials. Different template designs are conceived to exert control over different planes of the blue-phase lattice orientation with respect to the underlying substrate. Experiments are then used to demonstrate that it is indeed possible to create stable single-crystal blue-phase domains with the desired orientation over large regions. These results provide a potential avenue to fully exploit the electro-optical properties of blue phases, which have been hindered by the existence of grain boundaries.

Theoretically informed Monte Carlo simulation of liquid crystals by sampling of alignment-tensor fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Armas-Pérez, Julio C.; Londono-Hurtado, Alejandro [Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637 (United States); Guzmán, Orlando [Departamento de Física, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Iztapalapa, DF 09340, México (Mexico); Hernández-Ortiz, Juan P. [Departamento de Materiales y Minerales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Medellín, Medellín (Colombia); Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637 (United States); Pablo, Juan J. de, E-mail: depablo@uchicago.edu [Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637 (United States); Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States)

2015-07-28

A theoretically informed coarse-grained Monte Carlo method is proposed for studying liquid crystals. The free energy functional of the system is described in the framework of the Landau-de Gennes formalism. The alignment field and its gradients are approximated by finite differences, and the free energy is minimized through a stochastic sampling technique. The validity of the proposed method is established by comparing the results of the proposed approach to those of traditional free energy minimization techniques. Its usefulness is illustrated in the context of three systems, namely, a nematic liquid crystal confined in a slit channel, a nematic liquid crystal droplet, and a chiral liquid crystal in the bulk. It is found that for systems that exhibit multiple metastable morphologies, the proposed Monte Carlo method is generally able to identify lower free energy states that are often missed by traditional approaches. Importantly, the Monte Carlo method identifies such states from random initial configurations, thereby obviating the need for educated initial guesses that can be difficult to formulate.

Theoretically informed Monte Carlo simulation of liquid crystals by sampling of alignment-tensor fields.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Armas-Perez, Julio C.; Londono-Hurtado, Alejandro; Guzman, Orlando; Hernandez-Ortiz, Juan P.; de Pablo, Juan J.

2015-07-27

A theoretically informed coarse-grained Monte Carlo method is proposed for studying liquid crystals. The free energy functional of the system is described in the framework of the Landau-de Gennes formalism. The alignment field and its gradients are approximated by finite differences, and the free energy is minimized through a stochastic sampling technique. The validity of the proposed method is established by comparing the results of the proposed approach to those of traditional free energy minimization techniques. Its usefulness is illustrated in the context of three systems, namely, a nematic liquid crystal confined in a slit channel, a nematic liquid crystal droplet, and a chiral liquid crystal in the bulk. It is found that for systems that exhibit multiple metastable morphologies, the proposed Monte Carlo method is generally able to identify lower free energy states that are often missed by traditional approaches. Importantly, the Monte Carlo method identifies such states from random initial configurations, thereby obviating the need for educated initial guesses that can be difficult to formulate.

Chirality-controlled spontaneous twisting of crystals due to thermal topochemical reaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Rai, Rishika; Krishnan, Baiju P; Sureshan, Kana M

2018-03-20

Crystals that show mechanical response against various stimuli are of great interest. These stimuli induce polymorphic transitions, isomerizations, or chemical reactions in the crystal and the strain generated between the daughter and parent domains is transcribed into mechanical response. We observed that the crystals of modified dipeptide LL (N 3 -l-Ala-l-Val-NHCH 2 C≡CH) undergo spontaneous twisting to form right-handed twisted crystals not only at room temperature but also at 0 °C over time. Using various spectroscopic techniques, we have established that the twisting is due to the spontaneous topochemical azide-alkyne cycloaddition (TAAC) reaction at room temperature or lower temperatures. The rate of twisting can be increased by heating, exploiting the faster kinetics of the TAAC reaction at higher temperatures. To address the role of molecular chirality in the direction of twisting the enantiomer of dipeptide LL, N 3 -d-Ala-d-Val-NHCH 2 C≡CH (DD), was synthesized and topochemical reactivity and mechanoresponse of its crystals were studied. We have found that dipeptide DD not only underwent TAAC reaction, giving 1,4-triazole-linked pseudopolypeptides of d-amino acids, but also underwent twisting with opposite handedness (left-handed twisting), establishing the role of molecular chirality in controlling the direction of mechanoresponse. This paper reports ( i ) a mechanical response due to a thermal reaction and ( ii ) a spontaneous mechanical response in crystals and ( iii ) explains the role of molecular chirality in the handedness of the macroscopic mechanical response.

Nonlinear Raman spectroscopy of liquid crystals: orientational alignment and switching behaviour in a ferroelectric liquid crystal mixture

Science.gov (United States)

Grofcsik, Andras

Picosecond inverse Raman spectroscopy has been employed to probe the alignment behaviour and switching characteristics of a 6 mum thick ferroelectric liquid crystal based on a host mixture of fluorinated phenyl biphenylcarboxylates and a chiral dopant. Optical bistability is observed in the Raman signal on application of dc electric fields of opposite polarity. For particular polarities of the applied field, the Raman signals display a cos4theta dependence on the angle of rotation around the beam direction. Reorientational rate constants of 300 mus and 590 mus are observed for the aromatic core at the high-voltage limit for the rise and decay of the 1600 cm-1 Raman signal on application of a switching ac electric field.

Guided mode studies of smectic liquid crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hodder, B.

2000-03-01

Recently there has been considerable interest in the use of ferroelectric liquid crystals in low power, fast switching display devices. At present the voltage switching process in surface stabilised ferroelectric liquid crystal (SSFLC) devices is not fully understood and a convenient theory for such cells has yet to be found. It is the primary aim of this work to characterise the optic tensor configuration (director profile) in thin cells (∼ 3.5 μm) containing ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) material. These results form a benchmark by which continuum theories may be tested. Polarised microscopy is, perhaps, the most common optical probe of liquid crystal cells. It should be appreciated that this technique is fundamentally limited, as the results are deduced from an integrated optical response of any given cell, and cannot be used to spatially resolve details of the director profile through the cell. The guided mode techniques used in this study are the primary non-integral probe and enable detailed spatial resolution of the director profile within liquid crystal cells. Analysis of guided mode data from cells containing homeotropically aligned FLC reveals the temperature dependence of the optical biaxiality and cone angle for a 40% chiral mixture of the commercially available FLC SCE8*. From these optical biaxiality measurements the temperature dependence of the biaxial order parameter C is determined. Guided mode studies of cells containing homogeneously aligned SCE8* (the conventional alignment for SSFLC devices) reveal the 0V equilibrium director profile from which a cone and chevron model is constructed. Subsequent studies of voltage induced elastic deformations of the director profile are presented and compared with a single elastic constant continuum theory which is shown to be inadequate. Optical guided mode techniques are not directly sensitive to the smectic layer configuration but X-ray scattering is. Here, for the first time, results are presented

Asymmetric synthesis using chiral-encoded metal

Science.gov (United States)

Yutthalekha, Thittaya; Wattanakit, Chularat; Lapeyre, Veronique; Nokbin, Somkiat; Warakulwit, Chompunuch; Limtrakul, Jumras; Kuhn, Alexander

2016-08-01

The synthesis of chiral compounds is of crucial importance in many areas of society and science, including medicine, biology, chemistry, biotechnology and agriculture. Thus, there is a fundamental interest in developing new approaches for the selective production of enantiomers. Here we report the use of mesoporous metal structures with encoded geometric chiral information for inducing asymmetry in the electrochemical synthesis of mandelic acid as a model molecule. The chiral-encoded mesoporous metal, obtained by the electrochemical reduction of platinum salts in the presence of a liquid crystal phase and the chiral template molecule, perfectly retains the chiral information after removal of the template. Starting from a prochiral compound we demonstrate enantiomeric excess of the (R)-enantiomer when using (R)-imprinted electrodes and vice versa for the (S)-imprinted ones. Moreover, changing the amount of chiral cavities in the material allows tuning the enantioselectivity.

Chiral stationary phase optimized selectivity liquid chromatography: A strategy for the separation of chiral isomers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hegade, Ravindra Suryakant; De Beer, Maarten; Lynen, Frederic

2017-09-15

Chiral Stationary-Phase Optimized Selectivity Liquid Chromatography (SOSLC) is proposed as a tool to optimally separate mixtures of enantiomers on a set of commercially available coupled chiral columns. This approach allows for the prediction of the separation profiles on any possible combination of the chiral stationary phases based on a limited number of preliminary analyses, followed by automated selection of the optimal column combination. Both the isocratic and gradient SOSLC approach were implemented for prediction of the retention times for a mixture of 4 chiral pairs on all possible combinations of the 5 commercial chiral columns. Predictions in isocratic and gradient mode were performed with a commercially available and with an in-house developed Microsoft visual basic algorithm, respectively. Optimal predictions in the isocratic mode required the coupling of 4 columns whereby relative deviations between the predicted and experimental retention times ranged between 2 and 7%. Gradient predictions led to the coupling of 3 chiral columns allowing baseline separation of all solutes, whereby differences between predictions and experiments ranged between 0 and 12%. The methodology is a novel tool allowing optimizing the separation of mixtures of optical isomers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chirality in adsorption on solid surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaera, Francisco

2017-12-07

In the present review we survey the main advances made in recent years on the understanding of chemical chirality at solid surfaces. Chirality is an important topic, made particularly relevant by the homochiral nature of the biochemistry of life on Earth, and many chiral chemical reactions involve solid surfaces. Here we start our discussion with a description of surface chirality and of the different ways that chirality can be bestowed on solid surfaces. We then expand on the studies carried out to date to understand the adsorption of chiral compounds at a molecular level. We summarize the work published on the adsorption of pure enantiomers, of enantiomeric mixtures, and of prochiral molecules on chiral and achiral model surfaces, especially on well-defined metal single crystals but also on other flat substrates such as highly ordered pyrolytic graphite. Several phenomena are identified, including surface reconstruction and chiral imprinting upon adsorption of chiral agents, and the enhancement or suppression of enantioselectivity seen in some cases upon adsorption of enantiomixtures of chiral compounds. The possibility of enhancing the enantiopurity of adsorbed layers upon the addition of chiral seeds and the so-called "sergeants and soldiers" phenomenon are presented. Examples are provided where the chiral behavior has been associated with either thermodynamic or kinetic driving forces. Two main approaches to the creation of enantioselective surface sites are discussed, namely, via the formation of supramolecular chiral ensembles made out of small chiral adsorbates, and by adsorption of more complex chiral molecules capable of providing suitable chiral environments for reactants by themselves, via the formation of individual adsorbate:modifier adducts on the surface. Finally, a discussion is offered on the additional effects generated by the presence of the liquid phase often required in practical applications such as enantioselective crystallization, chiral

Chiral multichromic single crystals for optical devices (LDRD 99406).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kemp, Richard Alan; Felix, Ana M. (University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM)

2006-12-01

This report summarizes our findings during the study of a novel system that yields multi-colored materials as products. This system is quite unusual as it leads to multi-chromic behavior in single crystals, where one would expect that only a single color would exist. We have speculated that these novel solids might play a role in materials applications such as non-linear optics, liquid crystal displays, piezoelectric devices, and other similar applications. The system examined consisted of a main-group alkyl compound (a p block element such as gallium or aluminum) complexed with various organic di-imines. The di-imines had substituents of two types--either alkyl or aromatic groups attached to the nitrogen atoms. We observed that single crystals, characterized by X-ray crystallography, were obtained in most cases. Our research during January-July, 2006, was geared towards understanding the factors leading to the multi-chromic nature of the complexes. The main possibilities put forth initially considered (a) the chiral nature of the main group metal, (b) possible reduction of the metal to a lower-valent, radical state, (c) the nature of the ligand(s) attached to the main group metal, and (d) possible degradation products of the ligand leading to highly-colored products. The work carried out indicates that the most likely explanation considered involves degradation of the aromatic ligands (a combination of (c) and (d)), as the experiments performed can clearly rule out (a) and (b).

Liquid crystals with novel terminal chains as ferroelectric liquid crystal hosts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cosquer, G.Y.

2000-02-01

Changes to the molecular structure of liquid crystals can have a significant effect upon their mesomorphism and ferroelectric properties. Most of the research in liquid crystal for display applications concentrates on the design and synthesis of novel mesogenic cores to which straight terminal alkyl or alkoxy chains are attached. However, little is known about the effects upon the mesomorphism and ferroelectric properties of varying the terminal chains. The compounds prepared in this work have a common core - a 2,3-difluoroterphenyl unit with a nine-atom alkyl (nonyl) or alkoxy (octyloxy) chain at the 4-position, but with an unusual chain at the 4''-position. In some cases the terminal chain contains hetero atoms such as silicon, oxygen, chlorine and bromine or has a bulky end group. In total 46 final materials were synthesised in an attempt to understand the effect of an unusual terminal chains on mesomorphism and for some of these compounds the effect upon the switching times when added to a standard ferroelectric mixture were investigated. It was found that most compounds containing a bulky end group only displayed a smectic C phase, compounds with a halogen substituent as an end unit displayed a smectic A phase and that increasing the chain flexibility by introducing an oxygen atom in the chain reduces the melting and clearing points. The electro-optical measurements carried out on ferroelectric mixtures containing a bulky end group compound showed that shorter switching times were produced than for the ferroelectric mixture containing a straight chain compound. It is suggested that a bulky end group diminishes te extent of interlayer mixing in the chiral smectic C phase and therefore the molecules move more easily with ferroelectric switching. (author)

Fluorescence recognition of chiral amino alcohols by using a novel ionic liquid sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Pengfei; Wu, Datong; Zhao, Xiaoyong; Pan, Yuanjiang

2017-08-07

A novel task-specific ionic liquid derived from l-phenylalaninol was prepared as an enantioselective fluorescent sensor for the first time. Fluorescent chiral ionic liquid 1 (FCIL1) is found to exhibit highly enantioselective fluorescence enhancements toward both aromatic and non-aromatic chiral amino alcohols. When (S)-FCIL1 was treated with the enantiomers of phenylalaninol, a great fluorescence enhancement at 349 nm could be observed and the value of the enantiomeric fluorescence difference (ef) is 5.92. This demonstrated that the chiral sensor (S)-FCIL1 exhibited an excellent enantioselective response behaviour to d-phenylalaninol. Besides that, both the fluorescence intensity at 349 nm (I 349 ) and the ratio of I 349 to I 282 depend linearly on the concentration of amino alcohols. Both the concentration and the enantiomeric composition could be determined by using the chiral ionic liquid. Differently, the sensor treated with the enantiomers of 2-amino-1-butanol showed an opposite result: the fluorescence intensity of the S-enantiomer is higher than that of the R-enantiomer. Furthermore, the size of the substituents on the chiral carbon might be important for the enantioselective fluorescent response.

Flexoelectricity and piezoelectricity: the reason for the rich variety of phases in antiferroelectric smectic liquid crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Cepic, M; Zeks, B

2001-08-20

The free energy of antiferroelectric smectic liquid crystals which takes into account polar order explicitly is presented. Steric, van der Waals, piezoelectric, and flexoelectric interactions to the nearest layers, and dipolar electrostatic interactions to the nearest and to the next-nearest layers, induce indirect tilt interactions with chiral and achiral properties, which extend to the third- and to the fourth-nearest layers. Although the strength of microscopic interactions changes monotonically with decreasing temperature, the effective interlayer interactions change nonmonotonically and give rise to a nonmonotonic change of the modulation period through various phases. Increased chirality changes the phase sequence.

Non-equilibrium dynamics of 2D liquid crystals driven by transmembrane gas flow.

Science.gov (United States)

Seki, Kazuyoshi; Ueda, Ken; Okumura, Yu-ichi; Tabe, Yuka

2011-07-20

Free-standing films composed of several layers of chiral smectic liquid crystals (SmC*) exhibited unidirectional director precession under various vapor transfers across the films. When the transferred vapors were general organic solvents, the precession speed linearly depended on the momentum of the transmembrane vapors, where the proportional constant was independent of the kind of vapor. In contrast, the same SmC* films under water transfer exhibited precession in the opposite direction. As a possible reason for the rotational inversion, we suggest the competition of two origins for the torques, one of which is microscopic and the other macroscopic. Next, we tried to move an external object by making use of the liquid crystal (LC) motion. When a solid or a liquid particle was set on a film under vapor transfer, the particle was rotated in the same direction as the LC molecules. Using home-made laser tweezers, we measured the force transmitted from the film to the particle, which we found to be several pN.

Observation of two regions of selective light reflection from a thin film of a cholesteric liquid crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alaverdyan, R B; Dadalyan, T K; Chilingaryan, Yurii S

2013-01-01

Two regions of selective light reflection (in the short- and long- wavelength parts of the visible spectrum) from a thin film of a cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC), consisting of the mixture of two CLCs with opposite chirality and a nematic liquid crystal, are experimentally found for the first time. The spectral position of the reflection regions and the separation between them varies depending on the CLC composition and the temperature. The long-wavelength region of reflection corresponds to the region of Bragg reflection from the CLC helix, while the short-wavelength region is probably due to the defects in the structure of the CLC film. (letters)

Chiral Asymmetric Structures in Aspartic Acid and Valine Crystals Assessed by Atomic Force Microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Teschke, Omar; Soares, David Mendez

2016-03-29

Structures of crystallized deposits formed by the molecular self-assembly of aspartic acid and valine on silicon substrates were imaged by atomic force microscopy. Images of d- and l-aspartic acid crystal surfaces showing extended molecularly flat sheets or regions separated by single molecule thick steps are presented. Distinct orientation surfaces were imaged, which, combined with the single molecule step size, defines the geometry of the crystal. However, single molecule step growth also reveals the crystal chirality, i.e., growth orientations. The imaged ordered lattice of aspartic acid (asp) and valine (val) mostly revealed periodicities corresponding to bulk terminations, but a previously unreported molecular hexagonal lattice configuration was observed for both l-asp and l-val but not for d-asp or d-val. Atomic force microscopy can then be used to identify the different chiral forms of aspartic acid and valine crystals.

Self-organized internal architectures of chiral micro-particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Provenzano, Clementina; Mazzulla, Alfredo; Desiderio, Giovanni; Pagliusi, Pasquale; De Santo, Maria P.; Cipparrone, Gabriella; Perrotta, Ida

2014-01-01

The internal architecture of polymeric self-assembled chiral micro-particles is studied by exploring the effect of the chirality, of the particle sizes, and of the interface/surface properties in the ordering of the helicoidal planes. The experimental investigations, performed by means of different microscopy techniques, show that the polymeric beads, resulting from light induced polymerization of cholesteric liquid crystal droplets, preserve both the spherical shape and the internal self-organized structures. The method used to create the micro-particles with controlled internal chiral architectures presents great flexibility providing several advantages connected to the acquired optical and photonics capabilities and allowing to envisage novel strategies for the development of chiral colloidal systems and materials

Self-Assembling, Stable Photonic Bend-Gap Phases in Emulsions of Chiral Nematics with Isotropic Fluids

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Chien-Yueh; Petschek, R. G.

1998-03-01

We investigate the possible mesophases in emulsions of chiral nematic liquid crystals with immiscible isotropic fluids and surfactants. The interactions between the orientational fields of the chiral nematics and the surfactant membranes together with the topological constraints affect stability of micellar geometries and produce a new phase diagram. We compare the free energies of various candidate phases. Appropriate, likely realizable conditions on the surfactant and the pitch of the liquid crystal result in thermodynamically stable blue-phase like phases for a relatively wide range of parameters. Processing such emulsions may result in materials with photonic band gaps.

One- and two-dimensional fluids properties of smectic, lamellar and columnar liquid crystals

CERN Document Server

Jakli, Antal

2006-01-01

Smectic and lamellar liquid crystals are three-dimensional layered structures in which each layer behaves as a two-dimensional fluid. Because of their reduced dimensionality they have unique physical properties and challenging theoretical descriptions, and are the subject of much current research. One- and Two-Dimensional Fluids: Properties of Smectic, Lamellar and Columnar Liquid Crystals offers a comprehensive review of these phases and their applications. The book details the basic structures and properties of one- and two-dimensional fluids and the nature of phase transitions. The later chapters consider the optical, magnetic, and electrical properties of special structures, including uniformly and non-uniformly aligned anisotropic films, lyotropic lamellar systems, helical and chiral structures, and organic anisotropic materials. Topics also include typical and defective features, magnetic susceptibility, and electrical conductivity. The book concludes with a review of current and potential applications ...

Optical acetone vapor sensors based on chiral nematic liquid crystals and reactive chiral dopants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cachelin, P.; Green, J.P.; Peijs, T.; Heeney, M.; Bastiaansen, C.W.M.

2016-01-01

Accurate monitoring of exposure to organic vapors, such as acetone, is an important part of maintaining a safe working environment and adhering to long- and short-term exposure limits. Here, a novel acetone vapor detection system is described based on the use of a reactive chiral dopant in a nematic

Spontaneous Generation of Chirality in Simple Diaryl Ethers.

Science.gov (United States)

Lennartson, Anders; Hedström, Anna; Håkansson, Mikael

2015-07-01

We studied the spontaneous formation of chiral crystals of four diaryl ethers, 3-phenoxybenzaldehyde, 1; 1,3-dimethyl-2-phenoxybenzene, 2; di(4-aminophenyl) ether, 3; and di(p-tolyl) ether, 4. Compounds 1, 3, and 4 form conformationally chiral molecules in the solid state, while the chirality of 2 arises from the formation of supramolecular helices. Compound 1 is a liquid at ambient temperature, but 2-4 are crystalline, and solid-state CD-spectroscopy showed that they could be obtained as optically active bulk samples. It should be noted that the optical activity arise upon crystallization, and no optically active precursors were used. Indeed, even commercial samples of 3 and 4 were found to be optically active, giving evidence for the ease at which total spontaneous resolution may occur in certain systems. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Improvement in device performance from a mixture of a liquid crystal and photosensitive acrylic prepolymer with the photoinduced vertical alignment method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Czung-Yu Ho, Fa-Hsin Lin, Yu-Tai Tao and Jiunn-Yih Lee

2011-01-01

Full Text Available In a multicomponent nematic liquid crystal (NLC mixture of a liquid crystal (negative-type NLC and a photosensitive acrylic prepolymer, photopolymerization upon UV irradiation induces the separation of the LC and photosensitive acrylic prepolymer layers, thereby leading to a vertical arrangement of LC molecules. In this study, we propose a simple vertical alignment method for LC molecules, by adding a chiral smectic A (SmA* liquid crystal having homeotropic texture characteristics to an NLC mixture solution. Measurements of electro-optical properties revealed that the addition of the SmA* LC not only strengthened the anchoring force of the copolymer alignment film surface, but also significantly enhanced the contrast ratio (~73%, response time and grayscale switching performance of the device.

Effects of molecular chirality on self-assembly and switching in liquid crystals at the cross-over between rod-like and bent shapes.

Science.gov (United States)

Ocak, Hale; Poppe, Marco; Bilgin-Eran, Belkız; Karanlık, Gürkan; Prehm, Marko; Tschierske, Carsten

2016-09-21

A bent-core compound derived from a 4-cyanoresorcinol core unit with two terephthalate based rod-like wings and carrying chiral 3,7-dimethyloctyloxy side chains has been synthesized in racemic and enantiomerically pure form and characterized by polarizing microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction and electro-optical investigations to study the influence of molecular chirality on the superstructural chirality and polar order in lamellar liquid crystalline phases. Herein we demonstrate that the coupling of molecular chirality with superstructural layer chirality in SmCsPF domain phases (forming energetically distinct diastereomeric pairs) can fix the tilt direction and thus stabilize synpolar order, leading to bistable ferroelectric switching in the SmC* phases of the (S)-enantiomer, whereas tristable modes determine the switching of the racemate. Moreover, the mechanism of electric field induced molecular reorganization changes from a rotation around the molecular long axis in the racemate to a rotation on the tilt-cone for the (S)-enantiomer. At high temperature the enantiomer behaves like a rod-like molecule with a chirality induced ferroelectric SmC* phase and an electroclinic effect in the SmA'* phase. At reduced temperature sterically induced polarization, due to the bent molecular shape, becomes dominating, leading to much higher polarization values, thus providing access to high polarization ferroelectric materials with weakly bent compounds having only "weakly chiral" stereogenic units. Moreover, the field induced alignment of the SmCsPF(()*()) domains gives rise to a special kind of electroclinic effect appearing even in the absence of molecular chirality. Comparison with related compounds indicates that the strongest effects of chirality appear for weakly bent molecules with a relatively short coherence length of polar order, whereas for smectic phases with long range polar order the effects of the interlayer interfaces can override

Diversity of Knot Solitons in Liquid Crystals Manifested by Linking of Preimages in Torons and Hopfions

Science.gov (United States)

Ackerman, Paul J.; Smalyukh, Ivan I.

2017-01-01

Topological solitons are knots in continuous physical fields classified by nonzero Hopf index values. Despite arising in theories that span many branches of physics, from elementary particles to condensed matter and cosmology, they remain experimentally elusive and poorly understood. We introduce a method of experimental and numerical analysis of such localized structures in liquid crystals that, similar to the mathematical Hopf maps, relates all points of the medium's order parameter space to their closed-loop preimages within the three-dimensional solitons. We uncover a surprisingly large diversity of naturally occurring and laser-generated topologically nontrivial solitons with differently knotted nematic fields, which previously have not been realized in theories and experiments alike. We discuss the implications of the liquid crystal's nonpolar nature on the knot soliton topology and how the medium's chirality, confinement, and elastic anisotropy help to overcome the constraints of the Hobart-Derrick theorem, yielding static three-dimensional solitons without or with additional defects. Our findings will establish chiral nematics as a model system for experimental exploration of topological solitons and may impinge on understanding of such nonsingular field configurations in other branches of physics, as well as may lead to technological applications.

Hydrogen bonding discotic liquid crystals: Synthesis, self-assembly, and molecular recognition

Science.gov (United States)

Bushey, Mark Lawrence

The triamides shown below form discotic liquid crystalline phases with intermolecular hydrogen bonding stabilizing the columnar structure, A and B. The mesomorphic orientations of the columns are dependent on the amide side chain. Three mesophasic orientations are described: columns aligned perpendicular to the surface, columns aligned parallel to the surface in a radial pattern, and columns aligned parallel to the surface in a parallel or aligned pattern. The aggregation of the tridodecyloxy-triamides show N-H shifting in the IR at elevated temperatures, an indication that hydrogen bonding is important in the association of liquid crystalline mesophases. Powder X-ray diffraction studies indicate packing of the columns into a hexagonal lattice.* Studies on triamides with chiral side chains result in molecules stacking into columns displaying a helical pitch. In concentrated solutions of dodecane, molecules with chiral side chains display behavior consistent with chiral nematic liquid crystals; a super helical packing of the chiral columns. These superhelical packed systems show temperature dependent selective reflection of visible light and fingerprint textures. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) confirms in sub-monolayer films, that molecules preferring an edge-on orientation form long columns on highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), those that prefer a face-on orientation form large amorphous domains. Electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) images of the domains of molecules in the edge-on orientation provides no discernible polarity, imaging of the domains of molecules in the face-on orientation indicates a negative polar orientation. Scanning probe measurements (SPM) of the tridodecynyl-triamide have shown similar edge-on orientations of other tridodecyloxy-triamides. Powder X-ray diffraction of these liquid crystalline phases shows a hexagonal packing of the columnar assembly. Electro-optic switching studies indicate a piezoelectric switching mechanism, possibly

Mueller matrix spectroscopic ellipsometry study of chiral nanocrystalline cellulose films

Science.gov (United States)

Mendoza-Galván, Arturo; Muñoz-Pineda, Eloy; Ribeiro, Sidney J. L.; Santos, Moliria V.; Järrendahl, Kenneth; Arwin, Hans

2018-02-01

Chiral nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) free-standing films were prepared through slow evaporation of aqueous suspensions of cellulose nanocrystals in a nematic chiral liquid crystal phase. Mueller matrix (MM) spectroscopic ellipsometry is used to study the polarization and depolarization properties of the chiral films. In the reflection mode, the MM is similar to the matrices reported for the cuticle of some beetles reflecting near circular left-handed polarized light in the visible range. The polarization properties of light transmitted at normal incidence for different polarization states of incident light are discussed. By using a differential decomposition of the MM, the structural circular birefringence and dichroism of a NCC chiral film are evaluated.

Liquid Crystal Colloids

Science.gov (United States)

Smalyukh, Ivan I.

2018-03-01

Colloids are abundant in nature, science, and technology, with examples ranging from milk to quantum dots and the colloidal atom paradigm. Similarly, liquid crystal ordering is important in contexts ranging from biological membranes to laboratory models of cosmic strings and liquid crystal displays in consumer devices. Some of the most exciting recent developments in both of these soft matter fields emerge at their interface, in the fast-growing research arena of liquid crystal colloids. Mesoscale self-assembly in such systems may lead to artificial materials and to structures with emergent physical behavior arising from patterning of molecular order and nano- or microparticles into precisely controlled configurations. Liquid crystal colloids show exceptional promise for new discovery that may impinge on composite material fabrication, low-dimensional topology, photonics, and so on. Starting from physical underpinnings, I review the state of the art in this fast-growing field, with a focus on its scientific and technological potential.

Optical patterning and dynamics of torons and hopfions in a chiral nematic with photo-tunable equilibrium pitch

Science.gov (United States)

Sohn, Hayley; Ackerman, Paul; Smalyukh, Ivan

Three-dimensional (3D) topological solitons arise in field theories ranging from particle physics to condensed matter and cosmology. They are the 3D counterparts of 2D skyrmions (often called ``baby skyrmions''), which attract a great deal of interest in studies of chiral ferromagnets and enable the emerging field of skyrmionics. In chiral nematic liquid crystals, the stability of such solitons is enhanced by the chiral medium's tendency to twist the director field describing the 3D spatial patterns of molecular alignment. However, their experimental realization, control and detailed studies remain limited. We combine experimental realization and numerical modeling of such light-responsive solitonic structures, including elementary torons and hopfions, in confined chiral nematic liquid crystals with photo-tunable cholesteric pitch. We show that the optical tunability of the pitch allows for using low-intensity light to control the soliton stability, dimensions, spatial patterning and dynamics.

Thermally controllable reflective characteristics from rupture and self-assembly of hydrogen bonds in cholesteric liquid crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Wang; Cao, Hui; Song, Li; Zhao, Haiyan; Li, Sijin; Yang, Zhou; Yang, Huai

2009-10-22

A cholesteric liquid crystal (Ch-LC) composite, made of a series of cholesteryl esters, a nematic LC, and a hydrogen bond (H-bond) chiral dopant (HCD), was prepared and filled into a planar treated cell. When the cell was heated, the selective reflection of the cell exhibited an unusual blue shift. One of the reasonable mechanisms was that the helical twisting power (HTP) value of cholesteryl esters increased with an increasing temperature. The other one was that the H-bonds of HCD were ruptured when the temperature was above 60.0 degrees C and HCD was split into two kinds of new chiral dopants, which made the HTP value of the chiral dopants change a lot, thus changing the pitch length of the composite greatly. On the basis of this mechanism, a novel thermally controllable reflective color paper could be achieved.

TaRh2B2 and NbRh2B2: Superconductors with a chiral noncentrosymmetric crystal structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Carnicom, Elizabeth M; Xie, Weiwei; Klimczuk, Tomasz; Lin, Jingjing; Górnicka, Karolina; Sobczak, Zuzanna; Ong, Nai Phuan; Cava, Robert J

2018-05-01

It is a fundamental truth in solid compounds that the physical properties follow the symmetry of the crystal structure. Nowhere is the effect of symmetry more pronounced than in the electronic and magnetic properties of materials-even the projection of the bulk crystal symmetry onto different crystal faces is known to have a substantial impact on the surface electronic states. The effect of bulk crystal symmetry on the properties of superconductors is widely appreciated, although its study presents substantial challenges. The effect of a lack of a center of symmetry in a crystal structure, for example, has long been understood to necessitate that the wave function of the collective electron state that gives rise to superconductivity has to be more complex than usual. However, few nonhypothetical materials, if any, have actually been proven to display exotic superconducting properties as a result. We introduce two new superconductors that in addition to having noncentrosymmetric crystal structures also have chiral crystal structures. Because the wave function of electrons in solids is particularly sensitive to the host material's symmetry, crystal structure chirality is expected to have a substantial effect on their superconducting wave functions. Our two experimentally obtained chiral noncentrosymmetric superconducting materials have transition temperatures to superconductivity that are easily experimentally accessible, and our basic property characterization suggests that their superconducting properties may be unusual. We propose that their study may allow for a more in-depth understanding of how chirality influences the properties of superconductors and devices that incorporate them.

Chiral separation of pharmaceutical compounds using electrochemically modulated liquid chromatography (EMLC)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, S. [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

1999-02-12

This research explores the application of a new technique, termed electrochemically modulated liquid chromatography (EMLC), to the chiral separations of pharmaceutical compounds. The introduction section provides a literature review of the technique and its applications, as well as brief overview of the research described in each of the next two chapters. Chapter 2 investigates the EMLC-based enantiomeric separation of a group of chiral benzodiazepines with β-cyclodextrin as a chiral mobile phase additive. Chapter 3 demonstrates the effects of several experimental parameters on the separation efficiency of drug enantiomers. The author concludes with a general summary and possible directions for future studies. Chapters 2 and 3 are processed separately.

Physical Properties of Liquid Crystals

CERN Document Server

Gray, George W; Spiess, Hans W

1999-01-01

This handbook is a unique compendium of knowledge on all aspects of the physics of liquid crystals. In over 500 pages it provides detailed information on the physical properties of liquid crystals as well as the recent theories and results on phase transitions, defects and textures of different types of liquid crystals. An in-depth understanding of the physical fundamentals is a prerequisite for everyone working in the field of liquid crystal research. With this book the experts as well as graduate students entering the field get all the information they need.

The sweet world of liquid crystals : The synthesis of non-amphiphilic carbohydrate-derived liquid crystals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smits, E

1998-01-01

The research in carbohydrate-derived liquid crystals was initiated by a review article by Jeffrey in 1986. This is rather late if one considers that the research on liquid crystals underwent a revival already in the 1960s after the discovery of the liquid crystal display (LCD). Carbohydrates were

Pressure sensor using liquid crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Parmar, Devendra S. (Inventor); Holmes, Harlan K. (Inventor)

1994-01-01

A pressure sensor includes a liquid crystal positioned between transparent, electrically conductive films (18 and 20), that are biased by a voltage (V) which induces an electric field (E) that causes the liquid crystal to assume a first state of orientation. Application of pressure (P) to a flexible, transparent film (24) causes the conductive film (20) to move closer to or farther from the conductive film (18), thereby causing a change in the electric field (E'(P)) which causes the liquid crystal to assume a second state of orientation. Polarized light (P.sub.1) is directed into the liquid crystal and transmitted or reflected to an analyzer (A or 30). Changes in the state of orientation of the liquid crystal induced by applied pressure (P) result in a different light intensity being detected at the analyzer (A or 30) as a function of the applied pressure (P). In particular embodiments, the liquid crystal is present as droplets (10) in a polymer matrix (12) or in cells (14) in a polymeric or dielectric grid (16) material in the form of a layer (13) between the electrically conductive films (18 and 20). The liquid crystal fills the open wells in the polymer matrix (12) or grid (16) only partially.

Mesomorphic and structural properties of liquid crystal possessing a chiral lactate unit

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Das, B.; Pramanik, A.; Das, M.K.; Bubnov, Alexej; Hamplová, Věra; Kašpar, Miroslav

2012-01-01

Roč. 1013, APR (2012), s. 119-125 ISSN 0022-2860 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA100100911; GA AV ČR(CZ) GA202/09/0047; GA ČR(CZ) GAP204/11/0723 Grant - others:RFASI(RU) 02.740.11.5166 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100520 Keywords : liquid crystals * phase transition * N*-TGB A * x-ray diffraction * differential scanning calorimetry Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.404, year: 2012 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022286012000440

Complete Chiral Resolution Using Additive-Induced Crystal Size Bifurcation During Grinding

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Noorduin, Wim L.; Asdonk, Pim van der; Meekes, Hugo; Enckevort, Willem J.P. van; Kaptein, Bernard; Leeman, Michel; Kellogg, Richard M.; Vlieg, Elias

2009-01-01

Grinding them down: By using a tailor-made additive, even in the absence of racemization in solution, abrasive grinding can yield an enantiopure solid state. This novel chiral resolution technique is based on an asymmetric bifurcation in the crystal size distribution as a result of stereoselective

Competitive chiral induction in a 2D molecular assembly: Intrinsic chirality versus coadsorber-induced chirality.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ting; Li, Shu-Ying; Wang, Dong; Wan, Li-Jun

2017-11-01

Noncovalently introducing stereogenic information is a promising approach to embed chirality in achiral molecular systems. However, the interplay of the noncovalently introduced chirality with the intrinsic chirality of molecules or molecular aggregations has rarely been addressed. We report a competitive chiral expression of the noncovalent interaction-mediated chirality induction and the intrinsic stereogenic center-controlled chirality induction in a two-dimensional (2D) molecular assembly at the liquid/solid interface. Two enantiomorphous honeycomb networks are formed by the coassembly of an achiral 5-(benzyloxy)isophthalic acid (BIC) derivative and 1-octanol at the liquid/solid interface. The preferential formation of the globally homochiral assembly can be achieved either by using the chiral analog of 1-octanol, ( S )-6-methyl-1-octanol, as a chiral coadsorber to induce chirality to the BIC assembly via noncovalent hydrogen bonding or by covalently linking a chiral center in the side chain of BIC. Both the chiral coadsorber and the intrinsically chiral BIC derivative can act as a chiral seeds to induce a preferred handedness in the assembly of the achiral BIC derivatives. Furthermore, the noncovalent interaction-mediated chirality induction can restrain or even overrule the manifestation of the intrinsic chirality of the BIC molecule and dominate the handedness of the 2D molecular coassembly. This study provides insight into the interplay of intrinsically chiral centers and external chiral coadsorbers in the chiral induction, transfer, and amplification processes of 2D molecular assembly.

Dipolar phases in liquid crystals with the chiral part based on the lactic acid

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Glogarová, Milada; Novotná, Vladimíra; Kašpar, Miroslav; Hamplová, Věra; Pociecha, D.

2008-01-01

Roč. 81, 11-12 (2008), 963-970 ISSN 0141-1594 R&D Projects: GA MŠk OC 175; GA AV ČR IAA100100710 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100520 Keywords : liquid crystals * paraelectric * ferroelectric and antiferroelectric phases * TGB phases * lactate unit Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.201, year: 2008

Modeling liquid crystal polymeric devices

Science.gov (United States)

Gimenez Pinto, Vianney Karina

The main focus of this work is the theoretical and numerical study of materials that combine liquid crystal and polymer. Liquid crystal elastomers are polymeric materials that exhibit both the ordered properties of the liquid crystals and the elastic properties of rubbers. Changing the order of the liquid crystal molecules within the polymer network can induce shape change. These materials are very valuable for applications such as actuators, sensors, artificial muscles, haptic displays, etc. In this work we apply finite element elastodynamics simulations to study the temperature induced shape deformation in nematic elastomers with complex director microstructure. In another topic, we propose a novel numerical method to model the director dynamics and microstructural evolution of three dimensional nematic and cholesteric liquid crystals. Numerical studies presented in this work are in agreement with experimental observations and provide insight into the design of application devices.

High-performance liquid chromatographic separations of stereoisomers of chiral basic agrochemicals with polysaccharide-based chiral columns and polar organic mobile phases.

Science.gov (United States)

Matarashvili, Iza; Shvangiradze, Iamze; Chankvetadze, Lali; Sidamonidze, Shota; Takaishvili, Nino; Farkas, Tivadar; Chankvetadze, Bezhan

2015-12-01

The separation of the stereoisomers of 23 chiral basic agrochemicals was studied on six different polysaccharide-based chiral columns in high-performance liquid chromatography with various polar organic mobile phases. Along with the successful separation of analyte stereoisomers, emphasis was placed on the effect of the chiral selector and mobile phase composition on the elution order of stereoisomers. The interesting phenomenon of reversal of enantiomer/stereoisomer elution order function of the polysaccharide backbone (cellulose or amylose), type of derivative (carbamate or benzoate), nature, and position of the substituent(s) in the phenylcarbamate moiety (methyl or chloro) and the nature of the mobile phase was observed. For several of the analytes containing two chiral centers all four stereoisomers were resolved with at least one chiral selector/mobile phase combination. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Molecular engineering of chiral colloidal liquid crystals using DNA origami

Science.gov (United States)

Siavashpouri, Mahsa; Wachauf, Christian H.; Zakhary, Mark J.; Praetorius, Florian; Dietz, Hendrik; Dogic, Zvonimir

2017-08-01

Establishing precise control over the shape and the interactions of the microscopic building blocks is essential for design of macroscopic soft materials with novel structural, optical and mechanical properties. Here, we demonstrate robust assembly of DNA origami filaments into cholesteric liquid crystals, one-dimensional supramolecular twisted ribbons and two-dimensional colloidal membranes. The exquisite control afforded by the DNA origami technology establishes a quantitative relationship between the microscopic filament structure and the macroscopic cholesteric pitch. Furthermore, it also enables robust assembly of one-dimensional twisted ribbons, which behave as effective supramolecular polymers whose structure and elastic properties can be precisely tuned by controlling the geometry of the elemental building blocks. Our results demonstrate the potential synergy between DNA origami technology and colloidal science, in which the former allows for rapid and robust synthesis of complex particles, and the latter can be used to assemble such particles into bulk materials.

Enantiomeric Profiling of Chiral Pharmacologically Active Compounds in the Environment with the Usage of Chiral Liquid Chromatography 
Coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Camacho-Muñoz, Dolores; Petrie, Bruce; Castrignanò, Erika; Kasprzyk-Hordern, Barbara

2016-01-01

The issue of drug chirality is attracting increasing attention among the scientific community. The phenomenon of chirality has been overlooked in environmental research (environmental occurrence, fate and toxicity) despite the great impact that chiral pharmacologically active compounds (cPACs) can provoke on ecosystems. The aim of this paper is to introduce the topic of chirality and its implications in environmental contamination. Special attention has been paid to the most recent advances in chiral analysis based on liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and the most popular protein based chiral stationary phases. Several groups of cPACs of environmental relevance, such as illicit drugs, human and veterinary medicines were discussed. The increase in the number of papers published in the area of chiral environmental analysis indicates that researchers are actively pursuing new opportunities to provide better understanding of environmental impacts resulting from the enantiomerism of cPACs. PMID:27713682

Wetting of cholesteric liquid crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Silvestre, Nuno M; Figueirinhas Pereira, Maria Carolina; Bernardino, Nelson R; Telo da Gama, Margarida M

2016-02-01

We investigate theoretically the wetting properties of cholesteric liquid crystals at a planar substrate. If the properties of substrate and of the interface are such that the cholesteric layers are not distorted, the wetting properties are similar to those of a nematic liquid crystal. If, on the other hand, the anchoring conditions force the distortion of the liquid crystal layers the wetting properties are altered, the free cholesteric-isotropic interface is non-planar and there is a layer of topological defects close to the substrate. These deformations can either promote or hinder the wetting of the substrate by a cholesteric, depending on the properties of the cholesteric liquid crystal.

Effect of lateral methoxy substitution on mesomorphic and structural properties of ferroelectric liquid crystals

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Bubnov, Alexej M.; Kašpar, Miroslav; Novotná, Vladimíra; Hamplová, Věra; Glogarová, Milada; Kapernaum, N.; Giesselmann, F.

2008-01-01

Roč. 35, č. 11 (2008), s. 1329-1337 ISSN 0267-8292 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA202/05/0431; GA AV ČR IAA100100710 Grant - others:DAAD-ASCR(XE) D11-CZ7/06-07; DAAD-ASCR(XE) D7-CZ8/08-09 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100520 Keywords : ferroelectric liquid crystal * chiral materials * x-ray diffraction * dielectric properties * layer shrinkage * spontaneous polarisation Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.132, year: 2008

Liquid separation techniques coupled with mass spectrometry for chiral analysis of pharmaceuticals compounds and their metabolites in biological fluids.

OpenAIRE

Erny, Guillaume L.; Cifuentes, Alejandro

2006-01-01

Determination of the chiral composition of drugs is nowadays a key step in order to determine purity, activity, bioavailability, biodegradation, etc, of pharmaceuticals. In this manuscript, works published for the last 5 years on the analysis of chiral drugs by liquid separation techniques coupled with mass spectrometry are reviewed. Namely, chiral analysis of pharmaceuticals including e.g., antiinflammatories, antihypertensives, relaxants, etc, by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and ...

Functional organic materials based on polymerized liquid-crystal monomers: supramolecular hydrogen-bonded systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Broer, Dirk J; Bastiaansen, Cees M W; Debije, Michael G; Schenning, Albertus P H J

2012-07-16

Functional organic materials are of great interest for a variety of applications. To obtain precise functional properties, well-defined hierarchically ordered supramolecular materials are crucial. The self-assembly of liquid crystals has proven to be an extremely useful tool in the development of well-defined nanostructured materials. We have chosen the illustrative example of photopolymerizable hydrogen-bonding mesogens to show that a wide variety of functional materials can be made from a relatively simple set of building blocks. Upon mixing these compounds with other reactive mesogens, nematic, chiral nematic, and smectic or columnar liquid-crystalline phases can be formed that can be applied as actuators, sensors and responsive reflectors, and nanoporous membranes, respectively. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Silver Films with Hierarchical Chirality.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Liguo; Cao, Yuanyuan; Duan, Yingying; Han, Lu; Che, Shunai

2017-07-17

Physical fabrication of chiral metallic films usually results in singular or large-sized chirality, restricting the optical asymmetric responses to long electromagnetic wavelengths. The chiral molecule-induced formation of silver films prepared chemically on a copper substrate through a redox reaction is presented. Three levels of chirality were identified: primary twisted nanoflakes with atomic crystal lattices, secondary helical stacking of these nanoflakes to form nanoplates, and tertiary micrometer-sized circinates consisting of chiral arranged nanoplates. The chiral Ag films exhibited multiple plasmonic absorption- and scattering-based optical activities at UV/Vis wavelengths based on their hierarchical chirality. The Ag films showed chiral selectivity for amino acids in catalytic electrochemical reactions, which originated from their primary atomic crystal lattices. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Submicrosecond electro-optic switching in the liquid-crystal smectic A phase: The soft-mode ferroelectric effect

Science.gov (United States)

Andersson, G.; Dahl, I.; Keller, P.; Kuczyński, W.; Lagerwall, S. T.; Skarp, K.; Stebler, B.

1987-08-01

A new liquid-crystal electro-optic modulating device similar to the surface-stabilized ferroelectric liquid-crystal device is described. It uses the same kind of ferroelectric chiral smectics and the same geometry as that device (thin sample in the ``bookshelf '' layer arrangement) but instead of using a tilted smectic phase like the C* phase, it utilizes the above-lying, nonferroelectric A phase, taking advantage of the electroclinic effect. The achievable optical intensity modulation that can be detected through the full range of the A phase is considerably lower than for the surface-stabilized device, but the response is much faster. Furthermore, the response is strictly linear with respect to the applied electric field. The device concept is thus appropriate for modulator rather than for display applications. We describe the underlying physics and present measurements of induced tilt angle, of light modulation depth, and of rise time.

Structural transitions and guest/host complexing of liquid crystal helical nanofilaments induced by nanoconfinement.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hanim; Ryu, Seong Ho; Tuchband, Michael; Shin, Tae Joo; Korblova, Eva; Walba, David M; Clark, Noel A; Yoon, Dong Ki

2017-02-01

A lamellar liquid crystal (LC) phase of certain bent-core mesogenic molecules can be grown in a manner that generates a single chiral helical nanofilament in each of the cylindrical nanopores of an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane. By introducing guest molecules into the resulting composite chiral nanochannels, we explore the structures and functionality of the ordered guest/host LC complex, verifying the smectic-like positional order of the fluidic nematic LC phase, which is obtained by the combination of the LC organization and the nanoporous AAO superstructure. The guest nematic LC 4'- n -pentyl-4-cyanobiphenyl is found to form a distinctive fluid layered ordered LC complex at the nanofilament/guest interface with the host 1,3-phenylene bis[4-(4-nonyloxyphenyliminomethyl)benzoate], where this interface contacts the AAO cylinder wall. Filament growth form is strongly influenced by mixture parameters and pore dimensions.

Accurate measurement of the optical activity of alanine crystals and the determination of their absolute chirality

Science.gov (United States)

Ishikawa, Kazuhiko; Terasawa, Yukana; Tanaka, Masahito; Asahi, Toru

2017-05-01

Wavelength dependence measurements of the chiroptical properties in alanine crystals have so far been unsuccessful using conventional spectroscopic techniques. We describe our attempts to measure the wavelength dependence of the optical activity in L- and D-alanine crystals along each crystallographic axis, and to determine the absolute chirality of alanine crystals by correlating the absolute structure to the optical activity using an x-ray diffractometer and a generalized high accuracy universal polarimeter. We have succeeded in accurately measuring the optical rotatory dispersion in the direction, which shows that the optical rotation of the D-alanine crystal is dextrorotatory and that of the L-alanine crystal is laevorotatory, thereby determining the absolute chirality. Furthermore, comparison with the optical activity in solution shows that the optical activity in alanine crystals is different not only in value, but also in the sign. These results have led us to conclude that the optical rotatory power in the crystalline state should not be simply the summation of molecular optical rotatory power values. We propose the necessity of a theory, which contains the contribution of molecular interactions within the crystal, in order to calculate the optical rotatory power of the crystalline state.

Liquid crystal interfaces: Experiments, simulations and biosensors

Science.gov (United States)

Popov, Piotr

Interfacial phenomena are ubiquitous and extremely important in various aspects of biological and industrial processes. For example, many liquid crystal applications start by alignment with a surface. The underlying mechanisms of the molecular organization of liquid crystals at an interface are still under intensive study and continue to be important to the display industry in order to develop better and/or new display technology. My dissertation research has been devoted to studying how complex liquid crystals can be guided to organize at an interface, and to using my findings to develop practical applications. Specifically, I have been working on developing biosensors using liquid-crystal/surfactant/lipid/protein interactions as well as the alignment of low-symmetry liquid crystals for potential new display and optomechanical applications. The biotechnology industry needs better ways of sensing biomaterials and identifying various nanoscale events at biological interfaces and in aqueous solutions. Sensors in which the recognition material is a liquid crystal naturally connects the existing knowledge and experience of the display and biotechnology industries together with surface and soft matter sciences. This dissertation thus mainly focuses on the delicate phenomena that happen at liquid interfaces. In the introduction, I start by defining the interface and discuss its structure and the relevant interfacial forces. I then introduce the general characteristics of biosensors and, in particular, describe the design of biosensors that employ liquid crystal/aqueous solution interfaces. I further describe the basic properties of liquid crystal materials that are relevant for liquid crystal-based biosensing applications. In CHAPTER 2, I describe the simulation methods and experimental techniques used in this dissertation. In CHAPTER 3 and CHAPTER 4, I present my computer simulation work. CHAPTER 3 presents insight of how liquid crystal molecules are aligned by

Stimuli-Directed Helical Chirality Inversion and Bio-Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ziyu Lv

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Helical structure is a sophisticated ubiquitous motif found in nature, in artificial polymers, and in supramolecular assemblies from microscopic to macroscopic points of view. Significant progress has been made in the synthesis and structural elucidation of helical polymers, nevertheless, a new direction for helical polymeric materials, is how to design smart systems with controllable helical chirality, and further use them to develop chiral functional materials and promote their applications in biology, biochemistry, medicine, and nanotechnology fields. This review summarizes the recent progress in the development of high-performance systems with tunable helical chirality on receiving external stimuli and discusses advances in their applications as drug delivery vesicles, sensors, molecular switches, and liquid crystals. Challenges and opportunities in this emerging area are also presented in the conclusion.

Thermotropic Ionic Liquid Crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Axenov, Kirill V.; Laschat, Sabine

2011-01-01

The last five years’ achievements in the synthesis and investigation of thermotropic ionic liquid crystals are reviewed. The present review describes the mesomorphic properties displayed by organic, as well as metal-containing ionic mesogens. In addition, a short overview on the ionic polymer and self-assembled liquid crystals is given. Potential and actual applications of ionic mesogens are also discussed. PMID:28879986

Thermotropic Ionic Liquid Crystals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabine Laschat

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The last five years’ achievements in the synthesis and investigation of thermotropic ionic liquid crystals are reviewed. The present review describes the mesomorphic properties displayed by organic, as well as metal-containing ionic mesogens. In addition, a short overview on the ionic polymer and self-assembled liquid crystals is given. Potential and actual applications of ionic mesogens are also discussed.

Thermotropic Ionic Liquid Crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Axenov, Kirill V; Laschat, Sabine

2011-01-14

The last five years' achievements in the synthesis and investigation of thermotropic ionic liquid crystals are reviewed. The present review describes the mesomorphic properties displayed by organic, as well as metal-containing ionic mesogens. In addition, a short overview on the ionic polymer and self-assembled liquid crystals is given. Potential and actual applications of ionic mesogens are also discussed.

Thermotropic Ionic Liquid Crystals

OpenAIRE

Axenov, Kirill V.; Laschat, Sabine

2011-01-01

The last five years’ achievements in the synthesis and investigation of thermotropic ionic liquid crystals are reviewed. The present review describes the mesomorphic properties displayed by organic, as well as metal-containing ionic mesogens. In addition, a short overview on the ionic polymer and self-assembled liquid crystals is given. Potential and actual applications of ionic mesogens are also discussed.

Recent progress of task-specific ionic liquids in chiral resolution and extraction of biological samples and metal ions.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Datong; Cai, Pengfei; Zhao, Xiaoyong; Kong, Yong; Pan, Yuanjiang

2018-01-01

Ionic liquids have been functionalized for modern applications. The functional ionic liquids are also called task-specific ionic liquids. Various task-specific ionic liquids with certain groups have been constructed and exploited widely in the field of separation. To take advantage of their properties in separation science, task-specific ionic liquids are generally used in techniques such as liquid-liquid extraction, solid-phase extraction, gas chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, and capillary electrophoresis. This review mainly covers original research papers published in the last five years, and we will focus on task-specific ionic liquids as the chiral selectors in chiral resolution and as extractant or sensor for biological samples and metal ion purification. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Nonlinear and quantum optics with liquid crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lukishova, Svetlana G

2014-01-01

Thermotropic liquid crystals' usual application is display technology. This paper describes experiments on light interaction with pure and doped liquid crystals under for these materials unconventional incident light powers: (1) under high-power laser irradiation, and (2) at the single-photon level. In (1), I will outline several nonlinear optical effects under high-power, nanosecond laser irradiation which should be taken into account in the design of lasers with liquid crystal components and in fabrication of optical power limiters based on liquid crystals: (1.1) athermal helical pitch dilation and unwinding of cholesteric mirrors (both in free space and inside laser resonators); (1.2) some pitfalls in measurements of refractive nonlinearity using z-scan technique under two-photon or linear absorption of liquids; (1.3) the first observation of thermal lens effects in liquid crystals under several-nanosecond, low-pulse-repetition rate (2-10 Hz) laser irradiation in the presence of two-photon absorption; (1.4) feedback-free kaleidoscope of patterns (hexagons, stripes, etc.) in dye-doped liquid crystals. In (2), at the single-photon level, it will be shown that with a proper selection of liquid crystals and a single-emitter dopant spectral range, liquid crystal structures can be used to control emitted single photons (both polarization and count rate). The application of the latter research is absolutely secure quantum communication with polarization coding of information. In particular, in (2.1), definite handedness, circular polarized cholesteric microcavity resonance in quantum dot fluorescence is reported. In (2.2), definite linear polarization of single (antibunched) photons from single-dye-molecules in planar-aligned nematic host is discussed. In (2.3), some results on photon antibunching from NV-color center in nanodiamond in liquid crystal host and circularly polarized fluorescence of definite handedness from nanocrystals doped with trivalent ions of

Key Developments in Ionic Liquid Crystals

OpenAIRE

Fernandez, A.A.; Kouwer, P.H.J.

2016-01-01

Ionic liquid crystals are materials that combine the classes of liquid crystals and ionic liquids. The first one is based on the multi-billion-dollar flat panel display industry, whilst the latter quickly developed in the past decades into a family of highly-tunable non-volatile solvents. The combination yields materials with a unique set of properties, but also with many challenges ahead. In this review, we provide an overview of the key concepts in ionic liquid crystals, particularly from a...

Lyotropic Liquid Crystal Phases from Anisotropic Nanomaterials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ingo Dierking

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Liquid crystals are an integral part of a mature display technology, also establishing themselves in other applications, such as spatial light modulators, telecommunication technology, photonics, or sensors, just to name a few of the non-display applications. In recent years, there has been an increasing trend to add various nanomaterials to liquid crystals, which is motivated by several aspects of materials development. (i addition of nanomaterials can change and thus tune the properties of the liquid crystal; (ii novel functionalities can be added to the liquid crystal; and (iii the self-organization of the liquid crystalline state can be exploited to template ordered structures or to transfer order onto dispersed nanomaterials. Much of the research effort has been concentrated on thermotropic systems, which change order as a function of temperature. Here we review the other side of the medal, the formation and properties of ordered, anisotropic fluid phases, liquid crystals, by addition of shape-anisotropic nanomaterials to isotropic liquids. Several classes of materials will be discussed, inorganic and mineral liquid crystals, viruses, nanotubes and nanorods, as well as graphene oxide.

Room-temperature single-photon sources with definite circular and linear polarizations based on single-emitter fluorescence in liquid crystal hosts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winkler, Justin M; Lukishova, Svetlana G; Bissell, Luke J

2013-01-01

Definite circular and linear polarizations of room-temperature single-photon sources, which can serve as polarization bases for quantum key distribution, are produced by doping planar-aligned liquid crystal hosts with single fluorescence emitters. Chiral 1-D photonic bandgap microcavities for a single handedness of circularly polarized light were prepared from both monomeric and oligomeric cholesteric liquid crystals. Fluorescent emitters, such as nanocrystal quantum dots, nitrogen vacancy color centers in nanodiamonds, and rare-earth ions in nanocrystals, were doped into these microcavity structures and used to produce circularly polarized fluorescence of definite handedness. Additionally, we observed circularly polarized resonances in the spectrum of nanocrystal quantum dot fluorescence at the edge of the cholesteric microcavity's photonic stopband. For this polarization we obtained a ∼4.9 enhancement of intensity compared to the polarization of the opposite handedness that propagates without photonic bandgap microcavity effects. Such a resonance is indicative of coupling of quantum dot fluorescence to the cholesteric microcavity mode. We have also used planar-aligned nematic liquid crystal hosts to align DiI dye molecules doped into the host, thereby providing a single-photon source of linear polarization of definite direction. Antibunching is demonstrated for fluorescence of nanocrystal quantum dots, nitrogen vacancy color centers, and dye molecules in these liquid crystal structures.

Chiral separation of phenylalanine and tryptophan by capillary electrophoresis using a mixture of β-CD and chiral ionic liquid ([TBA] [L-ASP]) as selectors.

Science.gov (United States)

Yujiao, Wu; Guoyan, Wang; Wenyan, Zhao; Hongfen, Zhang; Huanwang, Jing; Anjia, Chen

2014-05-01

In this paper, a simple, effective and green capillary electrophoresis separation and detection method was developed for the quantification of underivatized amino acids (dl-phenylalanine; dl-tryptophan) using β-Cyclodextrin and chiral ionic liquid ([TBA] [l-ASP]) as selectors. Separation parameters such as buffer concentrations, pH, β-CD and chiral ionic liquid concentrations and separation voltage were investigated for the enantioseparation in order to achieve the maximum possible resolution. A good separation was achieved in a background electrolyte composed of 15 mm sodium tetraborate, 5 mm β-CD and 4 mm chiral ionic liquid at pH 9.5, and an applied voltage of 10 kV. Under optimum conditions, linearity was achieved within concentration ranges from 0.08 to 10 µg/mL for the analytes with correlation coefficients from 0.9956 to 0.9998, and the analytes were separated in less than 6 min with efficiencies up to 970,000 plates/m. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of amino acid enantiomers in compound amino acids injections, such as 18AA-I, 18AA-II and 3AA.

Chiral particles in the dual-beam optical trap

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Brzobohatý, Oto; Hernández, R.J.; Simpson, Stephen Hugh; Mazzulla, A.; Cipparrone, G.; Zemánek, Pavel

2016-01-01

Roč. 24, č. 23 (2016), 26382:1-10 ISSN 1094-4087 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LD14069; GA MŠk(CZ) LO1212; GA ČR(CZ) GA14-16195S; GA MŠk ED0017/01/01 Institutional support: RVO:68081731 Keywords : optical tweezers * optical manipulation * liquid crystals * chiral media Subject RIV: BH - Optics, Masers, Lasers Impact factor: 3.307, year: 2016

Optical sensor platform based on cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) - 4'-(hexyloxy)-4-biphenylcarbonitrile (HOBC) bi-phase nematic liquid crystal composite films.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Moliria V; Tercjak, Agnieszka; Gutierrez, Junkal; Barud, Hernane S; Napoli, Mariana; Nalin, Marcelo; Ribeiro, Sidney J L

2017-07-15

The preparation of composite materials has gained tremendous attention due to the potential synergy of the combined materials. Here we fabricate novel thermal/electrical responsive photonic composite films combining cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) with a low molecular weight nematic liquid crystal (NLC), 4'-(hexyloxy)-4-biphenylcarbonitrile (HOBC). The obtained composite material combines both intense structural coloration of photonic cellulose and thermal and conductive properties of NLC. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results confirmed that liquid crystals coated CNC films maintain chiral nematic structure characteristic of CNC film and simultaneously, transversal cross-section scanning electron microscopy images indicated penetration of liquid crystals through the CNC layers. Investigated composite film maintain NLC optical properties being switchable as a function of temperature during heating/cooling cycles. The relationship between the morphology and thermoresponsive in the micro/nanostructured materials was investigated by using transmission optical microscopy (TOM). Conductive response of the composite films was proved by Electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) measurement. Designed thermo- and electro-responsive materials open novel simple pathway of fabrication of CNC-based materials with tunable properties. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Topological spin-hedgehog crystals of a chiral magnet as engineered with magnetic anisotropy

Science.gov (United States)

Kanazawa, N.; White, J. S.; Rønnow, H. M.; Dewhurst, C. D.; Morikawa, D.; Shibata, K.; Arima, T.; Kagawa, F.; Tsukazaki, A.; Kozuka, Y.; Ichikawa, M.; Kawasaki, M.; Tokura, Y.

2017-12-01

We report the engineering of spin-hedgehog crystals in thin films of the chiral magnet MnGe by tailoring the magnetic anisotropy. As evidenced by neutron scattering on films with different thicknesses and by varying a magnetic field, we can realize continuously deformable spin-hedgehog crystals, each of which is described as a superposition state of a different set of three spin spirals (a triple-q state). The directions of the three propagation vectors q vary systematically, gathering from the three orthogonal 〈100 〉 directions towards the film normal as the strength of the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy and/or the magnetic field applied along the film normal increase. The formation of triple-q states coincides with the onset of topological Hall signals, that are ascribed to skew scattering by an emergent magnetic field originating in the nontrivial topology of spin hedgehogs. These findings highlight how nanoengineering of chiral magnets makes possible the rational design of unique topological spin textures.

Compressible Strips, Chiral Luttinger Liquids, and All That Jazz

Science.gov (United States)

MacDonald, A. H.

1996-03-01

When the quantum Hall effect occurs in a two-dimensional electron gas, all low-energy elementary excitations are localized near the system edge. The edge acts in many ways like a one-dimensional ring of electrons, except that a finite current flows around the ring in equilibrium. This article is a brief and informal review of some of the physics of quantum Hall system edges. We discuss the implications of macroscopic {\\em compressible strip} models for microscopic {chiral Luttinger liquid} models and make an important distinction between the origin of non-Fermi-liquid behavior in fractional quantum Hall edges and in usual one-dimensional electron gas systems.

A new chiral residue analysis method for triazole fungicides in water using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME).

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Mai; Liu, Donghui; Zhou, Zhiqiang; Wang, Peng

2013-09-01

A rapid, simple, reliable, and environment-friendly method for the residue analysis of the enantiomers of four chiral fungicides including hexaconazole, triadimefon, tebuconazole, and penconazole in water samples was developed by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) pretreatment followed by chiral high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-DAD detection. The enantiomers were separated on a Chiralpak IC column by HPLC applying n-hexane or petroleum ether as mobile phase and ethanol or isopropanol as modifier. The influences of mobile phase composition and temperature on the resolution were investigated and most of the enantiomers could be completely separated in 20 min under optimized conditions. The thermodynamic parameters indicated that the separation was enthalpy-driven. The elution orders were detected by both circular dichroism detector (CD) and optical rotatory dispersion detector (ORD). Parameters affecting the DLLME performance for pretreatment of the chiral fungicides residue in water samples, such as the extraction and dispersive solvents and their volume, were studied and optimized. Under the optimum microextraction condition the enrichment factors were over 121 and the linearities were 30-1500 µg L(-1) with the correlation coefficients (R(2)) over 0.9988 and the recoveries were between 88.7% and 103.7% at the spiking levels of 0.5, 0.25, and 0.05 mg L(-1) (for each enantiomer) with relative standard deviations varying from 1.38% to 6.70% (n = 6) The limits of detection (LODs) ranged from 8.5 to 29.0 µg L(-1) (S/N = 3). © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

AFM study of advanced composite materials for organic photovoltaic cells with active layer based on P3HT:PCBM and chiral photosensitive liquid crystalline dopants

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Iwan, A.; Sikora, A.; Hamplová, Věra; Bubnov, Alexej

2015-01-01

Roč. 42, č. 7 (2015), s. 964-972 ISSN 0267-8292 R&D Projects: GA MŠk 7AMB13PL041; GA ČR GA13-14133S; GA MŠk(CZ) LD14007; GA MŠk 7AMB13PL038 Grant - others:AVČR(CZ) M100101204 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : AFM * chiral liquid crystal * organic solar cells * azo compounds * photovoltaic s Subject RIV: JJ - Other Materials Impact factor: 2.244, year: 2015

Liquid crystals in biotribology synovial joint treatment

CERN Document Server

Ermakov, Sergey; Eismont, Oleg; Nikolaev, Vladimir

2016-01-01

This book summarizes the theoretical and experimental studies confirming the concept of the liquid-crystalline nature of boundary lubrication in synovial joints. It is shown that cholesteric liquid crystals in the synovial liquid play a significant role in the mechanism of intra-articular friction reduction. The results of structural, rheological and tribological research of the creation of artificial synovial liquids - containing cholesteric liquid crystals in natural synovial liquids - are described. These liquid crystals reproduce the lubrication properties of natural synovia and provide a high chondroprotective efficiency. They were tested in osteoarthritis models and in clinical practice.

Chiral Gold Nanoclusters: Atomic Level Origins of Chirality.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Chenjie; Jin, Rongchao

2017-08-04

Chiral nanomaterials have received wide interest in many areas, but the exact origin of chirality at the atomic level remains elusive in many cases. With recent significant progress in atomically precise gold nanoclusters (e.g., thiolate-protected Au n (SR) m ), several origins of chirality have been unveiled based upon atomic structures determined by using single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The reported chiral Au n (SR) m structures explicitly reveal a predominant origin of chirality that arises from the Au-S chiral patterns at the metal-ligand interface, as opposed to the chiral arrangement of metal atoms in the inner core (i.e. kernel). In addition, chirality can also be introduced by a chiral ligand, manifested in the circular dichroism response from metal-based electronic transitions other than the ligand's own transition(s). Lastly, the chiral arrangement of carbon tails of the ligands has also been discovered in a very recent work on chiral Au 133 (SR) 52 and Au 246 (SR) 80 nanoclusters. Overall, the origins of chirality discovered in Au n (SR) m nanoclusters may provide models for the understanding of chirality origins in other types of nanomaterials and also constitute the basis for the development of various applications of chiral nanoparticles. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Optics of anisotropic metamaterial based structurally chiral photonic crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gevorgyan, A H; Rafayelyan, M S

2013-01-01

Light transmission through and reflection from a medium layer with dielectric and magnetic helicities are discussed. The axes of the dielectric permittivity tensor, ε-hat , and the magnetic permeability tensor, μ-hat , as well as the medium helix axis are all parallel to each other and they are perpendicular to the boundary surfaces. The possibilities of formation of some new types of photonic bandgaps (PBGs) are presented for large anisotropies of the medium—namely, direct and indirect nonselective PBGs (with respect to the incident light polarization, in contrast to the usual direct PBGs, which are selective with respect to the polarization of the incident light). It is shown that a transmission region can arise among the three types of PBGs, in certain conditions, of course. In this paper we generalize the concept of nihility for structurally chiral media, such as cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) and we identify two types of CLC nihilities. It is shown that, for certain characteristic parameters of the medium, superluminal light propagation is possible in the transmission band. The influence of the anisotropy of the medium on the reflection spectra is considered and it is shown that one can tune the width, number and frequency range of PBGs of this layer, at essentially large limits, tuning the parameters of the layer. The case of oblique light incidence on the CLC layer is also discussed. (paper)

Towards Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Chiral Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lísal, Martin; Chval, Z.; Storch, Jan; Izák, Pavel

2014-01-01

Roč. 189, SI (2014), s. 85-94 ISSN 0167-7322 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP106/12/0569; GA MŠk LH12020 Institutional support: RVO:67985858 Keywords : chiral room-temperature ionic liquid * molecular dynamics simulation * non-polarizable fully flexible all-atom force field Subject RIV: CI - Industrial Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Impact factor: 2.515, year: 2014

Liquid separation techniques coupled with mass spectrometry for chiral analysis of pharmaceuticals compounds and their metabolites in biological fluids.

Science.gov (United States)

Erny, G L; Cifuentes, A

2006-02-24

Determination of the chiral composition of drugs is nowadays a key step in order to determine purity, activity, bioavailability, biodegradation, etc., of pharmaceuticals. In this article, works published for the last 5 years on the analysis of chiral drugs by liquid separation techniques coupled with mass spectrometry are reviewed. Namely, chiral analysis of pharmaceuticals including, e.g., antiinflammatories, antihypertensives, relaxants, etc., by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry are included. The importance and interest of the analysis of the enantiomers of the active compound and its metabolites in different biological fluids (plasma, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, etc.) are also discussed.

Thermoelectricity in liquid crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Mohd Said, Suhana; Nordin, Abdul Rahman; Abdullah, Norbani; Balamurugan, S.

2015-09-01

The thermoelectric effect, also known as the Seebeck effect, describes the conversion of a temperature gradient into electricity. A Figure of Merit (ZT) is used to describe the thermoelectric ability of a material. It is directly dependent on its Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity, and inversely dependent on its thermal conductivity. There is usually a compromise between these parameters, which limit the performance of thermoelectric materials. The current achievement for ZT~2.2 falls short of the expected threshold of ZT=3 to allow its viability in commercial applications. In recent times, advances in organic thermoelectrics been significant, improving by over 3 orders of magnitude over a period of about 10 years. Liquid crystals are newly investigated as candidate thermoelectric materials, given their low thermal conductivity, inherent ordering, and in some cases, reasonable electrical conductivity. In this work the thermoelectric behaviour of a discotic liquid crystal, is discussed. The DLC was filled into cells coated with a charge injector, and an alignment of the columnar axis perpendicular to the substrate was allowed to form. This thermoelectric behavior can be correlated to the order-disorder transition. A reasonable thermoelectric power in the liquid crystal temperature regime was noted. In summary, thermoelectric liquid crystals may have the potential to be utilised in flexible devices, as a standalone power source.

Quiralidade em moléculas e cristais Chirality at molecules and crystals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayres Guimarães Dias

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The present contribution describes some concepts of stereochemistry and chirality in molecules and crystals. This paper also reports on the development of a simple and fast experiment to prepare and recognize conglomerate and true racemate of tartaric acid produced by mechanic mixture of commercial enantiomers and recristalization. Optical activity and melting point of mixtures are also used in the analysis.

About zone structure of a stack of a cholesteric liquid crystal and isotropic medium layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gevorgyan, A H; Harutyunyan, E M; Matinyan, G K; Harutyunyan, M Z

2014-01-01

The optical properties of a stack of metamaterial-based cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) layers and isotropic medium layers are investigated. CLCs with two types of chiral nihility are defined. The peculiarities of the reflection spectra of this system are investigated and it is shown that the reflection spectra of the stacks of CLC layers of these two types differ from each other. The influence of: the CLC sublayer thicknesses; incidence angle; local dielectric (magnetic) anisotropy of the CLC layers; refraction indices and thicknesses of the isotropic media layers on the reflection spectra and other optical characteristics of the system is investigated.

Ultra-fast solid state electro-optical modulator based on liquid crystal polymer and liquid crystal composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ouskova, Elena; Sio, Luciano De, E-mail: luciano@beamco.com; Vergara, Rafael; Tabiryan, Nelson [Beam Engineering for Advanced Measurements Company, Winter Park, Florida 32789 (United States); White, Timothy J.; Bunning, Timothy J. [Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio 45433-7707 (United States)

2014-12-08

A different generation of polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs) based on a liquid crystalline polymer host is reported wherein the fluid behavior of the reactive mesogenic monomer is an enabler to concentration windows (liquid crystal polymer/liquid crystal) (and subsequent morphologies) not previously explored. These liquid crystal (LC) polymer/LC composites, LCPDLCs, exhibit excellent optical and electro-optical properties with negligible scattering losses in both the ON and OFF states. These systems thus have application in systems where fast phase modulation of optical signal instead of amplitude control is needed. Polarized optical microscopy and high resolution scanning electron microscopy confirm a bicontinuous morphology composed of aligned LC polymer coexisting with a phase separated LC fluid. Operating voltages, switching times, and spectra of LCPDLCs compare favourably to conventional PDLC films. The LCPDLCs exhibit a low switching voltage (4–5 V/μm), symmetric and submillisecond (200 μs) on/off response times, and high transmission in both the as formed and switched state in a phase modulation geometry.

Compressible strips, chiral Luttinger liquids, and all that jazz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacDonald, A.H.

1996-01-01

When the quantum Hall effect occurs in a two-dimensional electron gas, all low-energy elementary excitations are localized near the system edge. The edge acts in many ways like a one-dimensional ring of electrons, except that a finite current flows around the ring in equilibrium. This article is a brief and informal review of some of the physics of quantum Hall system edges. We discuss the implications of macroscopic compressible and incompressible strip models for microscopic chiral Luttinger liquid models and make an important distinction between the origin of non-Fermi-liquid behavior in fractional quantum Hall edges and in usual one-dimensional electron gas systems. (author). 33 refs., 2 figs

Compressible strips, chiral Luttinger liquids, and all that jazz

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

MacDonald, A.H. [Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (United States). Dept. of Physics

1996-03-01

When the quantum Hall effect occurs in a two-dimensional electron gas, all low-energy elementary excitations are localized near the system edge. The edge acts in many ways like a one-dimensional ring of electrons, except that a finite current flows around the ring in equilibrium. This article is a brief and informal review of some of the physics of quantum Hall system edges. We discuss the implications of macroscopic compressible and incompressible strip models for microscopic chiral Luttinger liquid models and make an important distinction between the origin of non-Fermi-liquid behavior in fractional quantum Hall edges and in usual one-dimensional electron gas systems. (author). 33 refs., 2 figs.

Chiral crystal of a C2v-symmetric 1,3-diazaaulene derivative showing efficient optical second harmonic generation

KAUST Repository

Ma, Xiaohua

2011-03-01

Achiral nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophores 1,3-diazaazulene derivatives, 2-(4â€-aminophenyl)-6-nitro-1,3-diazaazulene (APNA) and 2-(4â€-N,N-diphenylaminophenyl)-6-nitro-1,3-diazaazulene (DPAPNA), were synthesized with high yield. Despite the moderate static first hyperpolarizabilities (β0) for both APNA [(136 ± 5) à - 10-30 esu] and DPAPNA [(263 ± 20) à - 10-30 esu], only APNA crystal shows a powder efficiency of second harmonic generation (SHG) of 23 times that of urea. It is shown that the APNA crystallization driven cooperatively by the strong H-bonding network and the dipolar electrostatic interactions falls into the noncentrosymmetric P2 12121 space group, and that the helical supramolecular assembly is solely responsible for the efficient SHG response. To the contrary, the DPAPNA crystal with centrosymmetric P-1 space group is packed with antiparalleling dimmers, and is therefore completely SHG-inactive. 1,3-Diazaazulene derivatives are suggested to be potent building blocks for SHG-active chiral crystals, which are advantageous in high thermal stability, excellent near-infrared transparency and high degree of designing flexibility. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2011 Optical crystals based on 1,3-diazaazulene derivatives are reported as the first example of organic nonlinear optical crystal whose second harmonic generation activity is found to originate solely from the chirality of their helical supramolecular orientation. The strong H-bond network forming between adjacent choromophores is found to act cooperatively with dipolar electrostatic interactions in driving the chiral crystallization of this material. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

NMR spectroscopy using liquid crystal solvents

CERN Document Server

Emsley, JW

2013-01-01

NMR Spectroscopy using Liquid Crystal Solvents covers the importance of using a liquid crystal solvent in NMR to derive nuclear dipolar spin-spin coupling constants. This book is composed of ten chapters, and begins with a brief description of the features and benefits of liquid crystal in NMR spectroscopic analysis. The succeeding chapters deal with the mode of operation of nuclear spin Hamiltonian for partially oriented molecules and the analysis of NMR spectra of partially oriented molecules, as well as the determination of rigid molecule structure. These topics are followed by discussions

Simulation of light generation in cholesteric liquid crystals using kinetic equations: Time-independent solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shtykov, N. M., E-mail: nshtykov@mail.ru; Palto, S. P.; Umanskii, B. A. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography (Russian Federation)

2013-08-15

We report on the results of calculating the conditions for light generation in cholesteric liquid crystals doped with fluorescent dyes using kinetic equations. Specific features of spectral properties of the chiral cholesteric medium as a photonic structure and spatially distributed type of the feedback in the active medium are taken into account. The expression is derived for the threshold pump radiation intensity as a function of the dye concentration and sample thickness. The importance of taking into account the distributed loss level in the active medium for calculating the optimal parameters of the medium and for matching the calculated values with the results of experiments is demonstrated.

Computer modeling of liquid crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Barwani, M.S.

1999-01-01

In this thesis, we investigate several aspects of the behaviour of liquid crystal molecules near interfaces using computer simulation. We briefly discuss experiment, theoretical and computer simulation studies of some of the liquid crystal interfaces. We then describe three essentially independent research topics. The first of these concerns extensive simulations of a liquid crystal formed by long flexible molecules. We examined the bulk behaviour of the model and its structure. Studies of a film of smectic liquid crystal surrounded by vapour were also carried out. Extensive simulations were also done for a long-molecule/short-molecule mixture, studies were then carried out to investigate the liquid-vapour interface of the mixture. Next, we report the results of large scale simulations of soft-spherocylinders of two different lengths. We examined the bulk coexistence of the nematic and isotropic phases of the model. Once the bulk coexistence behaviour was known, properties of the nematic-isotropic interface were investigated. This was done by fitting order parameter and density profiles to appropriate mathematical functions and calculating the biaxial order parameter. We briefly discuss the ordering at the interfaces and make attempts to calculate the surface tension. Finally, in our third project, we study the effects of different surface topographies on creating bistable nematic liquid crystal devices. This was carried out using a model based on the discretisation of the free energy on a lattice. We use simulation to find the lowest energy states and investigate if they are degenerate in energy. We also test our model by studying the Frederiks transition and comparing with analytical and other simulation results. (author)

Key Developments in Ionic Liquid Crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarez Fernandez, Alexandra; Kouwer, Paul H J

2016-05-16

Ionic liquid crystals are materials that combine the classes of liquid crystals and ionic liquids. The first one is based on the multi-billion-dollar flat panel display industry, whilst the latter quickly developed in the past decades into a family of highly-tunable non-volatile solvents. The combination yields materials with a unique set of properties, but also with many challenges ahead. In this review, we provide an overview of the key concepts in ionic liquid crystals, particularly from a molecular perspective. What are the important molecular parameters that determine the phase behavior? How should they be introduced into the molecules? Finally, which other tools does one have to realize specific properties in the material?

Key Developments in Ionic Liquid Crystals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandra Alvarez Fernandez

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Ionic liquid crystals are materials that combine the classes of liquid crystals and ionic liquids. The first one is based on the multi-billion-dollar flat panel display industry, whilst the latter quickly developed in the past decades into a family of highly-tunable non-volatile solvents. The combination yields materials with a unique set of properties, but also with many challenges ahead. In this review, we provide an overview of the key concepts in ionic liquid crystals, particularly from a molecular perspective. What are the important molecular parameters that determine the phase behavior? How should they be introduced into the molecules? Finally, which other tools does one have to realize specific properties in the material?

Adsorption phenomena and anchoring energy in nematic liquid crystals

CERN Document Server

Barbero, Giovanni

2005-01-01

Despite the large quantity of phenomenological information concerning the bulk properties of nematic phase liquid crystals, little is understood about the origin of the surface energy, particularly the surface, interfacial, and anchoring properties of liquid crystals that affect the performance of liquid crystal devices. Self-contained and unique, Adsorption Phenomena and Anchoring Energy in Nematic Liquid Crystals provides an account of new and established results spanning three decades of research into the problems of anchoring energy and adsorption phenomena in liquid crystals.The book contains a detailed discussion of the origin and possible sources of anchoring energy in nematic liquid crystals, emphasizing the dielectric contribution to the anchoring energy in particular. Beginning with fundamental surface and anchoring properties of liquid crystals and the definition of the nematic phase, the authors explain how selective ion adsorption, dielectric energy density, thickness dependence, and bias voltage...

Liquid crystalline biopolymers: A new arena for liquid crystal research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rizvi, Tasneem Zahra

2001-07-01

This paper gives a brief introduction to liquid crystals on the basis of biopolymers and reviews literature on liquid crystalline behaviour of biopolymers both in vitro and in vivo in relation to their implications in the fields of biology, medicine and material science. Knowledge in the field of biological liquid crystals is crucial for understanding complex phenomena at supramolecular level which will give information about processes involved in biological organization and function. The understanding of the interaction of theses crystals with electric, magnetic, optical and thermal fields will uncover mechanisms of near quantum-energy detection capabilities of biosystems

Chromatic dispersion of liquid crystal infiltrated capillary tubes and photonic crystal fibers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Per Dalgaard; Lægsgaard, Jesper; Bang, Ole

2006-01-01

We consider chromatic dispersion of capillary tubes and photonic crystal fibers infiltrated with liquid crystals. A perturbative scheme for inclusion of material dispersion of both liquid crystal and the surrounding waveguide material is derived. The method is used to calculate the chromatic...

Liquid crystals for organic transistors (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Hanna, Jun-ichi; Iino, Hiroaki

2016-09-01

Liquid crystals are a new type of organic semiconductors exhibiting molecular orientation in self-organizing manner, and have high potential for device applications. In fact, various device applications have been proposed so far, including photosensors, solar cells, light emitting diodes, field effect transistors, and so on.. However, device performance in those fabricated with liquid crystals is less than those of devices fabricated with conventional materials in spite of unique features of liquid crystals. Here we discuss how we can utilize the liquid crystallinity in organic transistors and how we can overcome conventional non-liquid crystalline organic transistor materials. Then, we demonstrate high performance organic transistors fabricated with a smectic E liquid crystal of Ph-BTBT-10, which show high mobility of over 10cm2/Vs and high thermal durability of over 200oC in OFETs fabricated with its spin-coated polycrystalline thin films.

Chem I Supplement: Liquid Crystals--The Chameleon Chemicals.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Glenn H.

1983-01-01

Presents information relevant to everyday life so as to stimulate student interest in the properties of the two basic types of liquid crystals: thermotropic and lyotropic. Describes the applications of liquid crystals to electronics, biomedicine, and polymer science and appraises the future of liquid crystal research. (JM)

Strong dielectric liquid crystal polymer (Part 3)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kurata, Hideaki; Shibasaki, Akira

1988-11-01

Influence of change of molecular parameters on liquid crystal condition is studied to get the correlation between molecular structure of liquid crystal and phase structure or visco-elastic properties. Eight kinds of biphenyl type liquid crystals with polyacrilate main chain and triphenyl type liquid crystals were used as samples. Followings were found by a ploarizing microscope and X-ray diffraction: Phases are transferred from isotropic phase S/sub A/ phase S/sup *//sub C/ phase S/sub 1/ phase to solid on temperature desending sequence. Degree of polymerization changes only these transfer point but spacer length affects not only transfer points and layer distance but also liquid crystal structure itself. Visco-elasticity of isotropic phase shows Newtonian viscosity and is affected by the main chain length. Macroscopic and microscopic structures influence on viscoelasticity in S/sub A/ phase and S/sup *//sub C/ phase. Two rapid rises of viscoelasticity are found in low molecular weight liquid crystal when S/sub A/ transfer and S/sub A/ to S/sup *//sub C/ transfer occur by temperature desending from the isotropic phase. Viscoelastic behavior is contributed by the properties of domain itself and interaction between domains, and the interaction is changed by polymerization. 6 references, 13 figures, 1 table.

Liquid crystals of carbon nanotubes and graphene.

Science.gov (United States)

Zakri, Cécile; Blanc, Christophe; Grelet, Eric; Zamora-Ledezma, Camilo; Puech, Nicolas; Anglaret, Eric; Poulin, Philippe

2013-04-13

Liquid crystal ordering is an opportunity to develop novel materials and applications with spontaneously aligned nanotubes or graphene particles. Nevertheless, achieving high orientational order parameter and large monodomains remains a challenge. In addition, our restricted knowledge of the structure of the currently available materials is a limitation for fundamental studies and future applications. This paper presents recent methodologies that have been developed to achieve large monodomains of nematic liquid crystals. These allow quantification and increase of their order parameters. Nematic ordering provides an efficient way to prepare conductive films that exhibit anisotropic properties. In particular, it is shown how the electrical conductivity anisotropy increases with the order parameter of the nematic liquid crystal. The order parameter can be tuned by controlling the length and entanglement of the nanotubes. In the second part of the paper, recent results on graphene liquid crystals are reported. The possibility to obtain water-based liquid crystals stabilized by surfactant molecules is demonstrated. Structural and thermodynamic characterizations provide indirect but statistical information on the dimensions of the graphene flakes. From a general point of view, this work presents experimental approaches to optimize the use of nanocarbons as liquid crystals and provides new methodologies for the still challenging characterization of such materials.

Wave propagation in photonic crystals and metamaterials: Surface waves, nonlinearity and chirality

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Bingnan [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

2009-01-01

Photonic crystals and metamaterials, both composed of artificial structures, are two interesting areas in electromagnetism and optics. New phenomena in photonic crystals and metamaterials are being discovered, including some not found in natural materials. This thesis presents my research work in the two areas. Photonic crystals are periodically arranged artificial structures, mostly made from dielectric materials, with period on the same order of the wavelength of the working electromagnetic wave. The wave propagation in photonic crystals is determined by the Bragg scattering of the periodic structure. Photonic band-gaps can be present for a properly designed photonic crystal. Electromagnetic waves with frequency within the range of the band-gap are suppressed from propagating in the photonic crystal. With surface defects, a photonic crystal could support surface modes that are localized on the surface of the crystal, with mode frequencies within the band-gap. With line defects, a photonic crystal could allow the propagation of electromagnetic waves along the channels. The study of surface modes and waveguiding properties of a 2D photonic crystal will be presented in Chapter 1. Metamaterials are generally composed of artificial structures with sizes one order smaller than the wavelength and can be approximated as effective media. Effective macroscopic parameters such as electric permittivity ϵ, magnetic permeability μ are used to characterize the wave propagation in metamaterials. The fundamental structures of the metamaterials affect strongly their macroscopic properties. By designing the fundamental structures of the metamaterials, the effective parameters can be tuned and different electromagnetic properties can be achieved. One important aspect of metamaterial research is to get artificial magnetism. Metallic split-ring resonators (SRRs) and variants are widely used to build magnetic metamaterials with effective μ < 1 or even μ < 0. Varactor based

Lasing in liquid crystal thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palto, S. P. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography (Russian Federation)], E-mail: palto@online.ru

2006-09-15

A lasing condition is formulated in matrix form for optically anisotropic thin films. Lasing behavior of liquid-crystal slabs is analyzed. In particular, it is shown that if the spatial extent of a liquid crystal slab is much larger than its thickness, then laser emission is feasible not only along the normal to the slab, but also in the entire angular sector. The generated laser light can be observed experimentally as a spot or as concentric rings on a screen. The lowest lasing threshold corresponds to in-plane sliding modes leaking into the substrate. The feedback required for lasing is provided by reflection from the interfaces, rather than edges, of the liquid-crystal slab operating as a planar Fabry-Perot cavity. For cholesteric liquid crystals, it is shown that energy loss to the sliding modes leaking into the substrates and escaping through their edges is a key factor that limits the efficiency of band-edge emission along the normal to the slab.

Ionic Liquid Crystals: Versatile Materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Goossens, Karel; Lava, Kathleen; Bielawski, Christopher W; Binnemans, Koen

2016-04-27

This Review covers the recent developments (2005-2015) in the design, synthesis, characterization, and application of thermotropic ionic liquid crystals. It was designed to give a comprehensive overview of the "state-of-the-art" in the field. The discussion is focused on low molar mass and dendrimeric thermotropic ionic mesogens, as well as selected metal-containing compounds (metallomesogens), but some references to polymeric and/or lyotropic ionic liquid crystals and particularly to ionic liquids will also be provided. Although zwitterionic and mesoionic mesogens are also treated to some extent, emphasis will be directed toward liquid-crystalline materials consisting of organic cations and organic/inorganic anions that are not covalently bound but interact via electrostatic and other noncovalent interactions.

Electrically Tuned Microwave Devices Using Liquid Crystal Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pouria Yaghmaee

2013-01-01

Full Text Available An overview of liquid crystal technology for microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies is presented. The potential of liquid crystals as reconfigurable materials arises from their ability for continuous tuning with low power consumption, transparency, and possible integration with printed and flexible circuit technologies. This paper describes physical theory and fundamental electrical properties arising from the anisotropy of liquid crystals and overviews selected realized liquid crystal devices, throughout four main categories: resonators and filters, phase shifters and delay lines, antennas, and, finally, frequency-selective surfaces and metamaterials.

Non-linear optical measurement of the twist elastic constant in thermotropic and DNA lyotropic chiral nematics.

Science.gov (United States)

Lucchetti, Liana; Fraccia, Tommaso P; Ciciulla, Fabrizio; Bellini, Tommaso

2017-07-10

Throughout the whole history of liquid crystals science, the balancing of intrinsic elasticity with coupling to external forces has been the key strategy for most application and investigation. While the coupling of the optical field to the nematic director is at the base of a wealth of thoroughly described optical effects, a significant variety of geometries and materials have not been considered yet. Here we show that by adopting a simple cell geometry and measuring the optically induced birefringence, we can readily extract the twist elastic coefficient K 22 of thermotropic and lyotropic chiral nematics (N*). The value of K 22 we obtain for chiral doped 5CB thermotropic N* well matches those reported in the literature. With this same strategy, we could determine for the first time K 22 of the N* phase of concentrated aqueous solutions of DNA oligomers, bypassing the limitations that so far prevented measuring the elastic constants of this class of liquid crystalline materials. The present study also enlightens the significant nonlinear optical response of DNA liquid crystals.

Demonstrations with a Liquid Crystal Shutter

Science.gov (United States)

Kraftmakher, Yaakov

2012-01-01

The experiments presented show the response of a liquid crystal shutter to applied electric voltages and the delay of the operations. Both properties are important for liquid crystal displays of computers and television sets. Two characteristics of the shutter are determined: (i) the optical transmittance versus applied voltage of various…

Control of liquid crystal molecular orientation using ultrasound vibration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taniguchi, Satoki [Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tataramiyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321 (Japan); Wave Electronics Research Center, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tataramiyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321 (Japan); Koyama, Daisuke; Matsukawa, Mami [Wave Electronics Research Center, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tataramiyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321 (Japan); Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tataramiyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321 (Japan); Shimizu, Yuki; Emoto, Akira [Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tataramiyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321 (Japan); Nakamura, Kentaro [Precision and Intelligence Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259-R2-26, Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8503 (Japan)

2016-03-07

We propose a technique to control the orientation of nematic liquid crystals using ultrasound and investigate the optical characteristics of the oriented samples. An ultrasonic liquid crystal cell with a thickness of 5–25 μm and two ultrasonic lead zirconate titanate transducers was fabricated. By exciting the ultrasonic transducers, the flexural vibration modes were generated on the cell. An acoustic radiation force to the liquid crystal layer was generated, changing the molecular orientation and thus the light transmission. By modulating the ultrasonic driving frequency and voltage, the spatial distribution of the molecular orientation of the liquid crystals could be controlled. The distribution of the transmitted light intensity depends on the thickness of the liquid crystal layer because the acoustic field in the liquid crystal layer is changed by the orientational film.

Alignment technology and applications of liquid crystal devices

CERN Document Server

Takatoh, Kohki; Hasegawa, Ray; Koden, Mitsushiro; Itoh, Nobuyuki; Hasegawa, Masaki

2005-01-01

Alignment phenomena are characteristic of liquid crystalline materials, and understanding them is critically important in understanding the essential features and behavior of liquid crystals and the performance of Liquid Crystal Devices (LCDs). Furthermore, in LCD production lines, the alignment process is of practical importance. Alignment Technologies and Applications of Liquid Crystal Devices demonstrates both the fundamental and practical aspects of alignment phenomena in liquid crystals. The physical basis of alignment phenomena is first introduced in order to aid the understanding of the various physical phenomena observed in the interface between liquid crystalline materials and alignment layer surfaces. Methods for the characterization of surfaces, which induce the alignment phenomena, and of the alignment layer itself are introduced. These methods are useful for the research of liquid crystalline materials and devices in academic research as well as in industry. In the practical sections, the alignme...

Application of liquid crystals in thermal nondestructive evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panakal, J.P.; Mukherjee, S.; Ghosh, J.K.

1983-01-01

In recent years, thermal nondestructive evaluation using Cholestric liquid crystals have found wide applications in industry. Thermography using Cholesteric liquid crystals can be used for detection of nonbonds in metallic composites, hot spots in electronic circuits and preliminary examination of welded pressure vessels. This paper presents the results of experiments on thermography of components using encapsulated liquid crystals. (author)

Static and dynamical anomalies caused by chiral soliton lattice in molecular-based chiral magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kishine, Jun-ichiro; Inoue, Katsuya; Kikuchi, Koichi

2007-01-01

Interplay of crystallographic chirality and magnetic chirality has been of great interest in both chemist's and physicist's viewpoints. Crystals belonging to chiral space groups are eligible to stabilize macroscopic chiral magnetic order. This class of magnetic order is described by the chiral XY model, where the transverse magnetic field perpendicular to the chiral axis causes the chiral soliton lattice (CSL) formation. As a clear evidence of the chiral magnetic order, the temperature dependence of the transverse magnetization exhibits sharp cusp just below the mean field ferrimagnetic transition temperature, indicating the formation of the CSL. In addition to the static anomaly, we expect the CSL formation also causes dynamical anomalies such as induction of the spin supercurrent

Quantum Dot/Liquid Crystal Nanocomposites in Photonic Devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea L. Rodarte

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Quantum dot/liquid crystal nano-composites are promising new materials for a variety of applications in energy harvesting, displays and photonics including the liquid crystal laser. To realize many applications, however, we need to control and stabilize nano-particle dispersion in different liquid crystal host phases and understand how the particles behave in an anisotropic fluid. An ideal system will allow for the controlled assembly of either well-defined nano-particle clusters or a uniform particle distribution. In this paper, we investigate mesogen-functionalized quantum dots for dispersion in cholesteric liquid crystal. These nanoparticles are known to assemble into dense stable packings in the nematic phase, and such structures, when localized in the liquid crystal defects, can potentially enhance the coupling between particles and a cholesteric cavity. Controlling the dispersion and assembly of quantum dots using mesogenic surface ligands, we demonstrate how resonant fluid photonic cavities can result from the co-assembly of luminescent nanoparticles in the presence of cholesteric liquid crystalline ordering.

Diversity of Knot Solitons in Liquid Crystals Manifested by Linking of Preimages in Torons and Hopfions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul J. Ackerman

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Topological solitons are knots in continuous physical fields classified by nonzero Hopf index values. Despite arising in theories that span many branches of physics, from elementary particles to condensed matter and cosmology, they remain experimentally elusive and poorly understood. We introduce a method of experimental and numerical analysis of such localized structures in liquid crystals that, similar to the mathematical Hopf maps, relates all points of the medium’s order parameter space to their closed-loop preimages within the three-dimensional solitons. We uncover a surprisingly large diversity of naturally occurring and laser-generated topologically nontrivial solitons with differently knotted nematic fields, which previously have not been realized in theories and experiments alike. We discuss the implications of the liquid crystal’s nonpolar nature on the knot soliton topology and how the medium’s chirality, confinement, and elastic anisotropy help to overcome the constraints of the Hobart-Derrick theorem, yielding static three-dimensional solitons without or with additional defects. Our findings will establish chiral nematics as a model system for experimental exploration of topological solitons and may impinge on understanding of such nonsingular field configurations in other branches of physics, as well as may lead to technological applications.

Geometric triangular chiral hexagon crystal-like complexes organization in pathological tissues biological collision order.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jairo A Díaz

Full Text Available The present study describes and documents self-assembly of geometric triangular chiral hexagon crystal like complex organizations (GTCHC in human pathological tissues. The authors have found this architectural geometric expression at macroscopic and microscopic levels mainly in cancer processes. This study is based essentially on macroscopic and histopathologic analyses of 3000 surgical specimens: 2600 inflammatory lesions and 400 malignant tumours. Geometric complexes identified photographically at macroscopic level were located in the gross surgical specimen, and these areas were carefully dissected. Samples were taken to carry out histologic analysis. Based on the hypothesis of a collision genesis mechanism and because it is difficult to carry out an appropriate methodological observation in biological systems, the authors designed a model base on other dynamic systems to obtain indirect information in which a strong white flash wave light discharge, generated by an electronic device, hits over the lines of electrical conductance structured in helicoidal pattern. In their experimental model, the authors were able to reproduce and to predict polarity, chirality, helicoid geometry, triangular and hexagonal clusters through electromagnetic sequential collisions. They determined that similar events among constituents of extracelular matrix which drive and produce piezoelectric activity are responsible for the genesis of GTCHC complexes in pathological tissues. This research suggests that molecular crystals represented by triangular chiral hexagons derived from a collision-attraction event against collagen type I fibrils emerge at microscopic and macroscopic scales presenting a lateral assembly of each side of hypertrophy helicoid fibers, that represent energy flow in cooperative hierarchically chiral electromagnetic interaction in pathological tissues and arises as a geometry of the equilibrium in perturbed biological systems. Further

Geometric triangular chiral hexagon crystal-like complexes organization in pathological tissues biological collision order.

Science.gov (United States)

Díaz, Jairo A; Jaramillo, Natalia A; Murillo, Mauricio F

2007-12-12

The present study describes and documents self-assembly of geometric triangular chiral hexagon crystal like complex organizations (GTCHC) in human pathological tissues. The authors have found this architectural geometric expression at macroscopic and microscopic levels mainly in cancer processes. This study is based essentially on macroscopic and histopathologic analyses of 3000 surgical specimens: 2600 inflammatory lesions and 400 malignant tumours. Geometric complexes identified photographically at macroscopic level were located in the gross surgical specimen, and these areas were carefully dissected. Samples were taken to carry out histologic analysis. Based on the hypothesis of a collision genesis mechanism and because it is difficult to carry out an appropriate methodological observation in biological systems, the authors designed a model base on other dynamic systems to obtain indirect information in which a strong white flash wave light discharge, generated by an electronic device, hits over the lines of electrical conductance structured in helicoidal pattern. In their experimental model, the authors were able to reproduce and to predict polarity, chirality, helicoid geometry, triangular and hexagonal clusters through electromagnetic sequential collisions. They determined that similar events among constituents of extracelular matrix which drive and produce piezoelectric activity are responsible for the genesis of GTCHC complexes in pathological tissues. This research suggests that molecular crystals represented by triangular chiral hexagons derived from a collision-attraction event against collagen type I fibrils emerge at microscopic and macroscopic scales presenting a lateral assembly of each side of hypertrophy helicoid fibers, that represent energy flow in cooperative hierarchically chiral electromagnetic interaction in pathological tissues and arises as a geometry of the equilibrium in perturbed biological systems. Further interdisciplinary studies must

Modified dynamical equation for dye doped nematic liquid crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manohar, Rajiv, E-mail: rajlu1@rediffmail.co [Liquid Crystal Research Lab, Physics Department, University of Lucknow, Lucknow 226007 (India); Misra, Abhishek Kumar; Srivastava, Abhishek Kumar [Liquid Crystal Research Lab, Physics Department, University of Lucknow, Lucknow 226007 (India)

2010-04-15

Dye doped liquid crystals show changed dielectric properties in comparison to pure liquid crystals. These changes are strongly dependent on the concentration of dye. In the present work we have measured dielectric properties of standard nematic liquid crystals E-24 and its two guest host mixtures of different concentrations with Anthraquinone dye D5. The experimental results are fitted using linear response and in the light of this we have proposed some modifications in the dynamical equation for the nematic liquid crystals by introducing two new variables as dye concentration coefficients. The limitations of the proposed equation in high temperature range have also been discussed. With the help of the proposed dynamical equation for the guest-host liquid crystals (GHLCs) it is possible to predict the various parameters like rotational viscosity, dielectric anisotropy and relaxation time for GHLCs at other concentrations of dye in liquid crystals theoretically.

Fluorinated tolane and dioxane liquid crystals for ferroelectric display applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chu Chuan Dong

1994-05-01

The aim of this thesis was to make low viscosity, low birefringence, large negative dielectric anisotropy liquid-crystalline materials for use in ferroelectric liquid crystal mixtures to be used in high speed display devices. Saturated heterocyclic rings, dioxane and dioxaborinane, were chosen separately to be linked with a difluorophenyl system as the main component of the mesogenic core. In order to optimise the physical properties and to reduce the cost of the chiral materials, the strategy of making dopant-host mixtures was used. In addition to the difluorobiphenyl dioxaborinanes, three types of compounds were prepared possessing difluorophenyl rings and a dioxane ring: (i) difluorophenyl dioxanes and difluorobiphenyl dioxanes with the fluorinated ring in the middle of or at the end of the core; (ii) a number of compounds with linking groups, dimethylene (CH 2 CH 2 ), ester (COO), ethenylene (CH=CH) and ethynylene (C≡C) between adjacent benzene rings or between a dioxane ring and a benzene ring; (iii) difluorobiphenyl dioxanes possessing a chiral aliphatic chain were chosen as chiral dopants whose structure matched those of the host materials. Other compounds which have been synthesised are the difluorotolanes and difluorophenyl-ethynyl compounds, which were targeted because of the low viscosity of the tolane compounds and the negative dielectric anisotropy of the difluorophenyl ring. Fifty-six 2-(2,3-difluorobiphenyl-4'-yl)-1,3-dioxanes (n = 5-9, m = 5-10 or O5-O9; or n = 9, R' = OCH 2 CH(CH 3 )C 4 H 9 ) were prepared. Smectic C and nematic phases were observed for most of the alkyl-alkoxy homologues. Conversely, most of the dialkyl compounds exhibited smectic C, smectic A and nematic phases. The birefringences (Δn) and the dielectric anisotropies (Δε) of a number of materials have been determined. Three 2-(2,3-difluorobiphenyl-4-yl)-5-alkyl-1,3-dioxanes (n = 7, m = O7-O9) were prepared and only exhibit nematic phases. Two difluorophenyl dioxanes were

Nanoscience with liquid crystals from self-organized nanostructures to applications

CERN Document Server

Li, Quan

2014-01-01

This book focuses on the exciting topic of nanoscience with liquid crystals: from self-organized nanostructures to applications. The elegant self-organized liquid crystalline nanostructures, the synergetic characteristics of liquid crystals and nanoparticles, liquid crystalline nanomaterials, synthesis of nanomaterials using liquid crystals as templates, nanoconfinement and nanoparticles of liquid crystals are covered and discussed, and the prospect of fabricating functional materials is highlighted. Contributions, collecting the scattered literature of the field from leading and active player

Liquid crystal dimers

CERN Document Server

Kumar Pal, Santanu

2017-01-01

This book covers in-depth discussion of design principles, synthesis and thermal behavior of all types of liquid crystal (LC) dimers. The text presents recent advances in the field of LC dimers consisting of different mesogenic units such as calamitic, discotic and bent-core molecules. It starts with a chapter on the introduction of liquid crystal dimers, including their odd-even behavior, basic classification of dimers and common mesophases in dimers. The text shows how the molecular architectures are being used to develop new materials to study a range of interesting phenomena such as the biaxial nematic phase containing rod-like and disc-like mesogenic units. Finally, the text presents perspectives related to technological relevance of these dimers such as dopants in LC display mixtures exhibiting faster relaxation time, strong flexoelectric coupling and others to effect control over the properties of these materials.

Liquid crystals: high technology materials for potential applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saeed, M.A.; Badaruddin; Rizvi, T.Z.

1993-01-01

Liquid crystals have very rapidly emerged as a basis of many high technology fields within the last few decades. These materials because of their intriguing physical properties are regarded as the fourth state of matter. At present the applications of liquid crystals are established in digital display devices, electro-optical switches, optical computing, acousto-optics, thermo-indicators, laser thermo-recording, photo-chemical image recording and optical communication networks. More recently due to the concept of molecularly based electronics (MBE): the logical extreme for miniaturization of electronic device, liquid crystals are foreseen to play a vital role in the future optics based technologies. This paper gives a brief introduction to liquid crystals, the types of meso phases found in these materials together with their applications in research and industry. Some technical details of the construction liquid crystal cells for some typical applications in digital displays and other electro optical devices have also been discussed with special emphasis on relevant physical processes occurring at molecular level. (author)

Insertion of liquid crystal molecules into hydrocarbon monolayers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Popov, Piotr, E-mail: ppopov@kent.edu; Mann, Elizabeth K. [Department of Physics, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242 (United States); Lacks, Daniel J. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 (United States); Jákli, Antal [Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242-0001 (United States)

2014-08-07

Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations were carried out to investigate the molecular mechanisms of vertical surface alignment of liquid crystals. We study the insertion of nCB (4-Cyano-4{sup ′}-n-biphenyl) molecules with n = 0,…,6 into a bent-core liquid crystal monolayer that was recently found to provide good vertical alignment for liquid crystals. The results suggest a complex-free energy landscape for the liquid crystal within the layer. The preferred insertion direction of the nCB molecules (core or tail first) varies with n, which can be explained by entropic considerations. The role of the dipole moments was found to be negligible. As vertical alignment is the leading form of present day liquid crystal displays (LCD), these results will help guide improvement of the LCD technology, as well as lend insight into the more general problem of insertion of biological and other molecules into lipid and surfactant layers.

All-optical image processing with nonlinear liquid crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Kuan-Lun

Liquid crystals are fascinating materials because of several advantages such as large optical birefringence, dielectric anisotropic, and easily compatible to most kinds of materials. Compared to the electro-optical properties of liquid crystals widely applied in displays and switching application, transparency through most parts of wavelengths also makes liquid crystals a better candidate for all-optical processing. The fast response time of liquid crystals resulting from multiple nonlinear effects, such as thermal and density effect can even make real-time processing realized. In addition, blue phase liquid crystals with spontaneously self-assembled three dimensional cubic structures attracted academic attention. In my dissertation, I will divide the whole contents into six parts. In Chapter 1, a brief introduction of liquid crystals is presented, including the current progress and the classification of liquid crystals. Anisotropy and laser induced director axis reorientation is presented in Chapter 2. In Chapter 3, I will solve the electrostrictive coupled equation and analyze the laser induced thermal and density effect in both static and dynamic ways. Furthermore, a dynamic simulation of laser induced density fluctuation is proposed by applying finite element method. In Chapter 4, two image processing setups are presented. One is the intensity inversion experiment in which intensity dependent phase modulation is the mechanism. The other is the wavelength conversion experiment in which I can read the invisible image with a visible probe beam. Both experiments are accompanied with simulations to realize the matching between the theories and practical experiment results. In Chapter 5, optical properties of blue phase liquid crystals will be introduced and discussed. The results of grating diffractions and thermal refractive index gradient are presented in this chapter. In addition, fiber arrays imaging and switching with BPLCs will be included in this chapter

Electrically tunable liquid crystal photonic bandgap fiber laser

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olausson, Christina Bjarnal Thulin; Scolari, Lara; Wei, Lei

2010-01-01

We demonstrate electrical tunability of a fiber laser by using a liquid crystal photonic bandgap fiber. Tuning of the laser is achieved by combining the wavelength filtering effect of a liquid crystal photonic bandgap fiber device with an ytterbium-doped photonic crystal fiber. We fabricate an al...

Liquid crystal parameter analysis for tunable photonic bandgap fiber devices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weirich, Johannes; Lægsgaard, Jesper; Wei, Lei

2010-01-01

We investigate the tunability of splay-aligned liquid crystals for the use in solid core photonic crystal fibers. Finite element simulations are used to obtain the alignment of the liquid crystals subject to an external electric field. By means of the liquid crystal director field the optical...

New scintillating media based on liquid crystals for particle detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnik, M.I.; Yudin, S.G.; Vasil'chenko, V.G.; Golovkin, S.V.; Medvedkov, A.M.; Solovjev, A.S.

2000-01-01

The study results of optical, photoluminiscent and scintillation properties of a liquid crystal 4-pentyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl are presented. The scintillation light output of this liquid crystal is about 35% of crystal anthracene, its main decay time constants are 4 and 14 ns, and the maximum of light emission spectrum is about 400 nm. The light output of a dissolution of green emitting light scintillation dopant R6 in the liquid crystal is about 120% of crystal anthracene. The light output of the frozen dissolution measured at -112 deg. C is about 2.5 times higher as observed at +20 deg. C. In the uniaxially oriented liquid crystal, the predominant intensity direction of emitted light is pointed perpendicular to the liquid crystal director and an appreciable part of the emitted light is elliptically polarized. The possibility to use scintillation properties of liquid crystals is considered both for the improvement of existing particle detector characteristics and for the creation of new gated particle detectors

New scintillating media based on liquid crystals for particle detectors

CERN Document Server

Barnik, M I; Vasilchenko, V G; Golovkin, S V; Medvedkov, A M; Soloviev, A S

2000-01-01

The study results of optical, photoluminiscent and scintillation properties of a liquid crystal 4-pentyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl are presented. The scintillation light output of this liquid crystal is about 35% of crystal anthracene, its main decay time constants are 4 and 14 ns, and the maximum of light emission spectrum is about 400 nm. The light output of a dissolution of green emitting light scintillation dopant R6 in the liquid crystal is about 120% of crystal anthracene. The light output of the frozen dissolution measured at -112 deg. C is about 2.5 times higher as observed at +20 deg. C. In the uniaxially oriented liquid crystal, the predominant intensity direction of emitted light is pointed perpendicular to the liquid crystal director and an appreciable part of the emitted light is elliptically polarized. The possibility to use scintillation properties of liquid crystals is considered both for the improvement of existing particle detector characteristics and for the creation of new gated particle detectors.

Large three-dimensional photonic crystals based on monocrystalline liquid crystal blue phases.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chun-Wei; Hou, Chien-Tsung; Li, Cheng-Chang; Jau, Hung-Chang; Wang, Chun-Ta; Hong, Ching-Lang; Guo, Duan-Yi; Wang, Cheng-Yu; Chiang, Sheng-Ping; Bunning, Timothy J; Khoo, Iam-Choon; Lin, Tsung-Hsien

2017-09-28

Although there have been intense efforts to fabricate large three-dimensional photonic crystals in order to realize their full potential, the technologies developed so far are still beset with various material processing and cost issues. Conventional top-down fabrications are costly and time-consuming, whereas natural self-assembly and bottom-up fabrications often result in high defect density and limited dimensions. Here we report the fabrication of extraordinarily large monocrystalline photonic crystals by controlling the self-assembly processes which occur in unique phases of liquid crystals that exhibit three-dimensional photonic-crystalline properties called liquid-crystal blue phases. In particular, we have developed a gradient-temperature technique that enables three-dimensional photonic crystals to grow to lateral dimensions of ~1 cm (~30,000 of unit cells) and thickness of ~100 μm (~ 300 unit cells). These giant single crystals exhibit extraordinarily sharp photonic bandgaps with high reflectivity, long-range periodicity in all dimensions and well-defined lattice orientation.Conventional fabrication approaches for large-size three-dimensional photonic crystals are problematic. By properly controlling the self-assembly processes, the authors report the fabrication of monocrystalline blue phase liquid crystals that exhibit three-dimensional photonic-crystalline properties.

Liquid Crystals for Nondestructive Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

1978-09-01

polarizers (e.g., where p is the distance of alignment or pitch, X is the Nicol, Rochon, and Wollaston prisms ) are based upon peak wavelength of scattered...RANGE OF so 45" 45 - EVENT SEVENT T(°C) TEMPERATUJRE TC)4"TEMPERATURE 40RANGE OF T(°) 0-RANGE OF 40LIQUID ’ ൫" CRYSTAL S 36 3S. 30 0 IS 90 180 - I...Temperatures TI > T2 > - > TS defects was possible using the liquid crystal. are the Average TemperatursI Thes Resptivegi. Kapfer , Burns, Salvo, and Doyle

Tunable photoluminescence of porous silicon by liquid crystal infiltration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Qinglan; Xiong Rui; Huang Yuanming

2011-01-01

The photoluminescence (PL) of porous silicon films has been investigated as a function of the amount of liquid crystal molecules that are infiltrated into the constricted geometry of the porous silicon films. A typical nematic liquid crystal 4-pentyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl was employed in our experiment as the filler to modify the PL of porous silicon. It is found that the originally red PL of porous silicon films can be tuned to blue by simply adjusting the amount of liquid crystal molecules in the microchannels of the porous films. The chromaticity coordinates are calculated for the recorded PL spectra. The mechanism of the tunable PL is discussed. Our results have demonstrated that the luminescent properties of porous silicon films can be efficiently tuned by liquid crystal infiltration. - Highlights: → Liquid crystal infiltration can tune the photoluminescence of porous silicon. → Red emission of porous silicon can be switched to blue by the infiltration. → Chromaticity coordinates are calculated for the tuned emissions. → White emission is realized for porous silicon by liquid crystal infiltration.

Liquid Crystals in Tribology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María-Dolores Bermúdez

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Two decades ago, the literature dealing with the possible applications of low molar mass liquid crystals, also called monomer liquid crystals (MLCs, only included about 50 references. Today, thousands of papers, conference reports, books or book chapters and patents refer to the study and applications of MLCs as lubricants and lubricant additives and efforts are made to develop new commercial applications. The development of more efficient lubricants is of paramount technological and economic relevance as it is estimated that half the energy consumption is dissipated as friction. MLCs have shown their ability to form ordered boundary layers with good load-carrying capacity and to lower the friction coefficients, wear rates and contact temperature of sliding surfaces, thus contributing to increase the components service life and to save energy. This review includes the use of MLCs in lubrication, and dispersions of MLCs in conventional polymers (PDMLCs. Finally, new lubricating system composed of MLC blends with surfactants, ionic liquids or nanophases are considered.

Liquid crystals in tribology.

Science.gov (United States)

Carrión, Francisco-José; Martínez-Nicolás, Ginés; Iglesias, Patricia; Sanes, José; Bermúdez, María-Dolores

2009-09-18

Two decades ago, the literature dealing with the possible applications of low molar mass liquid crystals, also called monomer liquid crystals (MLCs), only included about 50 references. Today, thousands of papers, conference reports, books or book chapters and patents refer to the study and applications of MLCs as lubricants and lubricant additives and efforts are made to develop new commercial applications. The development of more efficient lubricants is of paramount technological and economic relevance as it is estimated that half the energy consumption is dissipated as friction. MLCs have shown their ability to form ordered boundary layers with good load-carrying capacity and to lower the friction coefficients, wear rates and contact temperature of sliding surfaces, thus contributing to increase the components service life and to save energy. This review includes the use of MLCs in lubrication, and dispersions of MLCs in conventional polymers (PDMLCs). Finally, new lubricating system composed of MLC blends with surfactants, ionic liquids or nanophases are considered.

Tunable bandpass filter based on photonic crystal fiber filled with multiple liquid crystals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scolari, Lara; Tartarini, G.; Borelli, E.

2007-01-01

A tunable bandpass filter based on a photonic crystal fiber filled with two different liquid crystals is demonstrated. 130 nm bandwidth tunability is achieved by tuning the temperature from 30degC to 90degC.......A tunable bandpass filter based on a photonic crystal fiber filled with two different liquid crystals is demonstrated. 130 nm bandwidth tunability is achieved by tuning the temperature from 30degC to 90degC....

Simulation of liquid crystals. Disclinations and surface modification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Downton, M.

2001-01-01

In this thesis we investigate the behaviour of molecular models liquid crystals in several different situations. Basic introductory material on liquid crystals and computer simulations is discussed in the first two chapters, we then discuss the research. The third chapter investigates the interaction between a liquid crystal and a modified surface. A confined system of hard spherocylinders in a slab geometry is examined. The surface consists of planar hard walls with elongated molecules grafted perpendicularly onto them. The concentration of grafted molecules is varied to give different surfaces. Several different behaviours are found including planar, homeotropic and tilted anchorings of the liquid crystal. Molecular dynamics simulations of a nematic liquid crystal in slab geometry with twisted boundary conditions are performed. By arranging the initial configuration suitably it is possible to create a simulation cell with two regions of opposite twist separated by a strength half disclination line. The properties of the line are examined both with and without an applied external field. Finally, we again examine the system of grafted molecules on a flat substrate using an atomistic model of both the liquid crystal and the surface molecules. Again the effect of varying the density of grafted molecules is found to change the anchoring characteristics of the surface; both homeotropic and planar anchorings are observed. (author)

Liquid Crystal photonic Bandgap Fiber Devices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wei, Lei

In this Ph.D. thesis, an experimental investigation of liquid crystal photonic bandgap (LCPBG) fiber devices and applications is presented. Photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) consist of a cladding microstructure with periodic index variations and a core defined by a defect of the structure. The prese......In this Ph.D. thesis, an experimental investigation of liquid crystal photonic bandgap (LCPBG) fiber devices and applications is presented. Photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) consist of a cladding microstructure with periodic index variations and a core defined by a defect of the structure...... of each LCPBG fiber. Finally, the applications for LCPBG fiber devices based on the on-chip platform design have been demonstrated in realizing microwave true-time delay and creating an electrically tunable fiber laser. Referatet mailes...

Oriented circular dichroism analysis of chiral surface-anchored metal-organic frameworks grown by liquid-phase epitaxy and upon loading with chiral guest compounds

KAUST Repository

Gu, Zhigang

2014-06-17

Oriented circular dichroism (OCD) is explored and successfully applied to investigate chiral surface-anchored metal-organic frameworks (SURMOFs) based on camphoric acid (D- and Lcam) with the composition [Cu2(Dcam) 2x(Lcam)2-2x(dabco)]n (dabco=1,4-diazabicyclo- [2.2.2]-octane). The three-dimensional chiral SURMOFs with high-quality orientation were grown on quartz glass plates by using a layer-by-layer liquid-phase epitaxy method. The growth orientation, as determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), could be switched between the [001] and [110] direction by using either OH- or COOH-terminated substrates. These SURMOFs were characterized by using OCD, which confirmed the ratio as well as the orientation of the enantiomeric linker molecules. Theoretical computations demonstrate that the OCD band intensities of the enantiopure [Cu2(Dcam)2(dabco)] n grown in different orientations are a direct result of the anisotropic nature of the chiral SURMOFs. Finally, the enantiopure [Cu 2(Dcam)2(dabco)]n and [Cu2(Lcam) 2(dabco)]n SURMOFs were loaded with the two chiral forms of ethyl lactate [(+)-ethyl-D-lactate and (-)-ethyl-L-lactate)]. An enantioselective enrichment of >60 % was observed by OCD when the chiral host scaffold was loaded from the racemic mixture. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Oriented circular dichroism analysis of chiral surface-anchored metal-organic frameworks grown by liquid-phase epitaxy and upon loading with chiral guest compounds

KAUST Repository

Gu, Zhigang; Bü rck, Jochen; Bihlmeier, Angela; Liu, Jinxuan; Shekhah, Osama; Weidler, Peter G.; Azucena, Carlos; Wang, Zhengbang; Heiß ler, Stefan; Gliemann, Hartmut; Klopper, Wim; Ulrich, Anne S.; Wö ll, Christof H.

2014-01-01

Oriented circular dichroism (OCD) is explored and successfully applied to investigate chiral surface-anchored metal-organic frameworks (SURMOFs) based on camphoric acid (D- and Lcam) with the composition [Cu2(Dcam) 2x(Lcam)2-2x(dabco)]n (dabco=1,4-diazabicyclo- [2.2.2]-octane). The three-dimensional chiral SURMOFs with high-quality orientation were grown on quartz glass plates by using a layer-by-layer liquid-phase epitaxy method. The growth orientation, as determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), could be switched between the [001] and [110] direction by using either OH- or COOH-terminated substrates. These SURMOFs were characterized by using OCD, which confirmed the ratio as well as the orientation of the enantiomeric linker molecules. Theoretical computations demonstrate that the OCD band intensities of the enantiopure [Cu2(Dcam)2(dabco)] n grown in different orientations are a direct result of the anisotropic nature of the chiral SURMOFs. Finally, the enantiopure [Cu 2(Dcam)2(dabco)]n and [Cu2(Lcam) 2(dabco)]n SURMOFs were loaded with the two chiral forms of ethyl lactate [(+)-ethyl-D-lactate and (-)-ethyl-L-lactate)]. An enantioselective enrichment of >60 % was observed by OCD when the chiral host scaffold was loaded from the racemic mixture. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Liquid crystal colloids

CERN Document Server

Muševič, Igor

2017-01-01

This book brings together the many concepts and discoveries in liquid crystal colloids contributed over the last twenty years and scattered across numerous articles and book chapters. It provides both a historical overview of the development of the field and a clear perspective on the future applications in photonics. The book covers all phenomena observed in liquid crystal colloids with an emphasis on experimental tools and applications of topology in condensed matter, as well as practical micro-photonics applications. It includes a number of spectacular manifestations of new topological phenomena not found or difficult to observe in other systems. Starting from the early works on nematic colloids, it explains the basics of topological defects in ordered media, charge and winding, and the elastic forces between colloidal particles in nematics. Following a detailed description of experimental methods, such as optical tweezing and particle tracking, the book eases the reader into the theoretical part, which de...

(α,η) phase diagrams in tilted chiral smectics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rjili, M.; Marcerou, J.P.; Gharbi, A.; Othman, T.

2013-01-01

The polymorphism of tilted chiral smectics liquid crystals is incredibly rich and encompasses many subphases such as SmC A ⁎ ; SmC Fi1 ⁎ ; SmC Fi2 ⁎ ; SmC ⁎ ; SmC α ⁎ . The continuum theory established by Marcerou (2010) is used to derive an expression for the free energy density of those subphases. The minimization of this free energy is obtained through a combination of analytical and numerical methods. It leads to a phase diagram built in the (α,η) plane where α is local angular parameter and η describes the variation of the temperature. From this graphical representation, many experimentally observed phase sequences of ferroelectric liquid crystals can be explained, even them including subphases which were recently observed like the SmC 5 ⁎ and the SmC 6 ⁎ ones. However, it should be emphasized that the details of predicted phase diagram are strongly dependent on the compound studied.

Thermal chiral vortical and magnetic waves: New excitation modes in chiral fluids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kalaydzhyan, Tigran, E-mail: tigran@caltech.edu [Department of Physics, University of Illinois, 845 W Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60607 (United States); Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4800 Oak Grove Dr, M/S 298, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Murchikova, Elena [TAPIR, California Institute of Technology, MC 350-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

2017-06-15

In certain circumstances, chiral (parity-violating) medium can be described hydrodynamically as a chiral fluid with microscopic quantum anomalies. Possible examples of such systems include strongly coupled quark–gluon plasma, liquid helium {sup 3}He-A, neutron stars and the Early Universe. We study first-order hydrodynamics of a chiral fluid on a vortex background and in an external magnetic field. We show that there are two previously undiscovered modes describing heat waves propagating along the vortex and magnetic field. We call them the Thermal Chiral Vortical Wave and Thermal Chiral Magnetic Wave. We also identify known gapless excitations of density (chiral vortical and chiral magnetic waves) and transverse velocity (chiral Alfvén wave). We demonstrate that the velocity of the chiral vortical wave is zero, when the full hydrodynamic framework is applied, and hence the wave is absent and the excitation reduces to the charge diffusion mode. We also comment on the frame-dependent contributions to the obtained propagation velocities.

Thermal chiral vortical and magnetic waves: New excitation modes in chiral fluids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalaydzhyan, Tigran; Murchikova, Elena

2017-01-01

In certain circumstances, chiral (parity-violating) medium can be described hydrodynamically as a chiral fluid with microscopic quantum anomalies. Possible examples of such systems include strongly coupled quark–gluon plasma, liquid helium "3He-A, neutron stars and the Early Universe. We study first-order hydrodynamics of a chiral fluid on a vortex background and in an external magnetic field. We show that there are two previously undiscovered modes describing heat waves propagating along the vortex and magnetic field. We call them the Thermal Chiral Vortical Wave and Thermal Chiral Magnetic Wave. We also identify known gapless excitations of density (chiral vortical and chiral magnetic waves) and transverse velocity (chiral Alfvén wave). We demonstrate that the velocity of the chiral vortical wave is zero, when the full hydrodynamic framework is applied, and hence the wave is absent and the excitation reduces to the charge diffusion mode. We also comment on the frame-dependent contributions to the obtained propagation velocities.

Thermal chiral vortical and magnetic waves: New excitation modes in chiral fluids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tigran Kalaydzhyan

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In certain circumstances, chiral (parity-violating medium can be described hydrodynamically as a chiral fluid with microscopic quantum anomalies. Possible examples of such systems include strongly coupled quark–gluon plasma, liquid helium 3He-A, neutron stars and the Early Universe. We study first-order hydrodynamics of a chiral fluid on a vortex background and in an external magnetic field. We show that there are two previously undiscovered modes describing heat waves propagating along the vortex and magnetic field. We call them the Thermal Chiral Vortical Wave and Thermal Chiral Magnetic Wave. We also identify known gapless excitations of density (chiral vortical and chiral magnetic waves and transverse velocity (chiral Alfvén wave. We demonstrate that the velocity of the chiral vortical wave is zero, when the full hydrodynamic framework is applied, and hence the wave is absent and the excitation reduces to the charge diffusion mode. We also comment on the frame-dependent contributions to the obtained propagation velocities.

Liquid crystals beyond displays chemistry, physics, and applications

CERN Document Server

Li, Quan

2012-01-01

The chemistry, physics, and applications of liquid crystals beyond LCDs Liquid Crystals (LCs) combine order and mobility on a molecular and supramolecular level. But while these remarkable states of matter are most commonly associated with visual display technologies, they have important applications for a variety of other fields as well. Liquid Crystals Beyond Displays: Chemistry, Physics, and Applications considers these, bringing together cutting-edge research from some of the most promising areas of LC science. Featuring contributions from respected researchers from around the globe, th

Liquid nitrogen dewar for protein crystal growth

Science.gov (United States)

2001-01-01

Gaseous Nitrogen Dewar apparatus developed by Dr. Alex McPherson of the University of California, Irvine for use aboard Mir and the International Space Station allows large quantities of protein samples to be crystallized in orbit. The specimens are contained either in plastic tubing (heat-sealed at each end). Biological samples are prepared with a precipitating agent in either a batch or liquid-liquid diffusion configuration. The samples are then flash-frozen in liquid nitrogen before crystallization can start. On orbit, the Dewar is placed in a quiet area of the station and the nitrogen slowly boils off (it is taken up by the environmental control system), allowing the proteins to thaw to begin crystallization. The Dewar is returned to Earth after one to four months on orbit, depending on Shuttle flight opportunities. The tubes then are analyzed for crystal presence and quality

Fundamentals of liquid crystal devices

CERN Document Server

Yang, Deng-Ke

2014-01-01

Revised throughout to cover the latest developments in the fast moving area of display technology, this 2nd edition of Fundamentals of Liquid Crystal Devices, will continue to be a valuable resource for those wishing to understand the operation of liquid crystal displays. Significant updates include new material on display components, 3D LCDs and blue-phase displays which is one of the most promising new technologies within the field of displays and it is expected that this new LC-technology will reduce the response time and the number of optical components of LC-modules. Prof. Yang is a pion

Lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals: From viscoelastic properties to living liquid crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Shuang

Lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal (LCLC) represents a broad range of molecules, from organic dyes and drugs to DNA, that self-assemble into linear aggregates in water through face-to-face stacking. These linear aggregates of high aspect ratio are capable of orientational order, forming, for example nematic phase. Since the microscopic properties (such as length) of the chromonic aggregates are results of subtle balance between energy and entropy, the macroscopic viscoelastic properties of the nematic media are sensitive to change of external factors. In the first part of this thesis, by using dynamic light scattering and magnetic Frederiks transition techniques, we study the Frank elastic moduli and viscosity coefficients of LCLC disodium cromoglycate (DSCG) and sunset yellow (SSY) as functions of concentration c , temperature T and ionic contents. The elastic moduli of splay (K1) and bend (K3) are in the order of 10pN, about 10 times larger than the twist modulus (K2). The splay modulus K1 and the ratio K1/K3 both increase substantially as T decreases or c increases, which we attribute to the elongation of linear aggregates at lower T or higher c . The bend viscosity is comparable to that of thermotropic liquid crystals, while the splay and twist viscosities are several orders of magnitude larger, changing exponentially with T . Additional ionic additives into the system influence the viscoelastic properties of these systems in a dramatic and versatile way. For example, monovalent salt NaCl decreases bend modulus K3 and increases twist viscosity, while an elevated pH decreases all the parameters. We attribute these features to the ion-induced changes in length and flexibility of building units of LCLC, the chromonic aggregates, a property not found in conventional thermotropic and lyotropic liquid crystals form by covalently bound units of fixed length. The second part of the thesis studies a new active bio-mechanical hybrid system called living liquid crystal

Molecular dynamics simulations of liquid crystals at interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shield, Mark

2002-01-01

Molecular dynamics simulations of an atomistic model of 4-n-octyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl (8CB) were performed for thin films of 8CB on solid substrates (a pseudopotential representation of the molecular topography of the (100) crystal surface of polyethylene (PE), a highly ordered atomistic model of a pseudo-crystalline PE surface and an atomistic model of a partially orientated film of PE), free standing thin films of 8CB and 8CB droplets in a hexagonal pit. The systems showed strong homeotropic anchoring at the free volume interface and planar anchoring at the solid interface whose strength was dependent upon the surface present. The free volume interface also demonstrated weak signs of smectic wetting of the bulk. Simulations of thin free standing films of liquid crystals showed the ordered nature of the liquid crystals at the two free volume interfaces can be adopted by the region of liquid crystal molecules between the homeotropic layer at each interface only if there is a certain number of liquid crystal molecules present. The perpendicular anchoring imposed by the free volume interface and the solid interface for the thin films on the solid substrates resulted in some evidence for the liquid crystal director undergoing a continual rotation at low temperatures and a definite discontinuous change at higher temperatures. The liquid crystal alignment imparted by these substrates was found to depend upon the topography of the surface and not the direction of the polymer chains in the substrate. The liquid crystal was found to order via an epitaxy-like mechanism. The perpendicular anchoring results in a drop in the order - disorder transition temperature for the molecules in the region between the homeotropic layer at the free volume interface and the planar layers at the solid interface. An increase in the size of this region does not alter the transition temperature. The shape of the liquid crystal molecules is dependent upon the degree of order and thus the nematic

Liquid crystal display

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takami, K.

1981-01-01

An improved liquid crystal display device is described which can display letters, numerals and other necessary patterns in the night time using a minimized amount of radioactive material. To achieve this a self-luminous light source is placed in a limited region corresponding to a specific display area. (U.K.)

Investigation of maltodextrin-based synergistic system with amino acid chiral ionic liquid as additive for enantioseparation in capillary electrophoresis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jiaquan; Du, Yingxiang; Sun, Xiaodong

2017-12-01

The combined use of chiral ionic liquids (ILs) and chiral selectors in capillary electrophoresis (CE) to establish a synergistic system has proven to be an effective approach for enantioseparation. In this article, tetramethylammonium-L-arginine, a kind of amino acid chiral IL, was applied to investigate its potential synergistic effect with maltodextrin in CE enantioseparation. The established maltodextrin-based synergistic system showed markedly improved enantioseparations compared with the single maltodextrin system. Parameters such as the chiral IL concentration, maltodextrin concentration, buffer pH, applied voltage, and capillary temperature were optimized. Satisfactory enantioseparation of the five studied drugs, including nefopam, duloxetine, ketoconazole, cetirizine, and citalopram was achieved in 50 mM Tris-H 3 PO 4 buffer solution (pH 3.0) containing 7.0% (m/v) maltodextrin and 60 mM tetramethylammonium-L-arginine. In addition, the chiral configuration of tetramethylammonium-L-arginine was also investigated to demonstrate the existence of a synergistic effect between chiral ILs and maltodextrin. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Small-angle neutron scattering technique in liquid crystal studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shahidan Radiman

2005-01-01

The following topics discussed: general principles of SAS (Small-angle Neutron Scattering), liquid crystals, nanoparticle templating on liquid crystals, examples of SAS results, prospects of this studies

Optical Power Limiting Liquid Crystal Composites

Science.gov (United States)

1994-11-10

materials. In addition to the nonlinear studies, a separate subproject involving linear properties 0 of polymer dispersed liquid crystals in the infrared ...The horizontal axis represents on-axis laser intensity Io, defined as Io = 2P/( ww2 ), where P is the power and u0 is the beam waist. As can be seen in...I * 9 IR Shutter 1 Included in our original contract was a separate project to evaluate the use of liquid crystal composites in infrared shattering

muSR-Investigation of a Liquid Crystal Containing Iron Atoms

CERN Document Server

Mamedov, T N; Galyametdinov, Yu G; Gritsaj, K I; Herlach, D; Kormann, O; Major, J V; Rochev, V Ya; Stoikov, A V; Zimmermann, U

2000-01-01

The work is devoted to the investigation of properties of a liquid crystal whose molecule contains iron atom. The compounds of this type are of interest from the point of view of obtaining liquid crystals with magnetic properties. The temperature dependence of the polarization and relaxation rate of positive muon spin in the liquid crystal was measured in the temperature range 4-300 K. The results obtained do not contradict the suggestion that the iron ions from an antiferromagnetically-ordered structure in this liquid crystal at the temperatures below 80 K.

Electrically modulated transparent liquid crystal-optical grating projection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Buss, Thomas; Smith, Cameron; Kristensen, Anders

2013-01-01

A transparent, fully integrated electrically modulated projection technique is presented based on light guiding through a thin liquid crystal layer covering sub-wavelength gratings. The reported device operates at 10 V with response times of 4.5 ms. Analysis of the liquid crystal alignment shows...

Liquid-crystal intraocular adaptive lens with wireless control

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Simonov, A.N.; Vdovine, G.V.; Loktev, M.

2007-01-01

We present a prototype of an adaptive intraocular lens based on a modal liquid-crystal spatial phase modulator with wireless control. The modal corrector consists of a nematic liquid-crystal layer sandwiched between two glass substrates with transparent low- and high-ohmic electrodes, respectively.

Soap, science, and flat-screen TVs a history of liquid crystals

CERN Document Server

Dunmur, David

2011-01-01

The terms 'liquid crystal' or 'liquid crystal display' (LCD) are well-known in the context of flat-screen televisions, but the properties and history of liquid crystals are little understood. This book tells the story of liquid crystals, from their controversial discovery at the end of the nineteenth century, to their eventual acceptance as another state of matter to rank alongside gases, liquids and solids. As their story unfolds, the scientists involved and their works are put into illuminating broader socio-political contexts. In recent years, liquid crystals have had a major impact on the display industry, culminating in the now widely available flat-screen televisions; this development is described in detail over three chapters, and the basic science behind it is explained in simple terms accessible to a general reader. New applications of liquid crystals in materials, bio-systems, medicine and technology are also explained.

Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Based Reflex Color Reflective Displays

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Asad

2012-02-01

Bistable color cholesteric liquid crystal displays are unique LCDs that exhibit high reflectivity, good contrast, extremely low power operation, and are amenable to versatile roll-to-roll manufacturing. The display technology, now branded as Reflex has been in commercialized products since 1996. It has been the subject of extensive research and development globally by a variety of parties in both academic and industrial settings. Today, the display technology is in volume production for applications such as dedicated eWriters (Boogie Board), full color electronic skins (eSkin), and displays for smart cards. The flexibility comes from polymerization induced phase separation using unique materials unparalleled in any other display technology. The blend of monomers, polymers, cross linkers, and other components along with nematic liquid crystals and chiral dopants is created and processed in such ways so as to enable highly efficient manufactrable displays using ultra thin plastic substrates -- often as thin as 50μm. Other significant aspects include full color by stacking or spatial separation, night vision capability, ultra high resolution, as well as active matrix capabilities. Of particular note is the stacking approach of Reflex based displays to show full color. This approach for reflective color displays is unique to this technology. Owing to high transparency in wavelength bands outside the selective reflection band, three primarily color layers can be stacked on top of each other and reflect without interfering with other layers. This highly surprising architecture enables the highest reflectivity of any other reflective electronic color display technology. The optics, architecture, electro-topics, and process techniques will be discussed. This presentation will focus on the physics of the core technology and color, it's evolution from rigid glass based displays to flexible displays, development of products from the paradigm shifting concepts to consumer

Effect of multilactate chiral part of liquid crystalline molecule on mesomorphic behaviour

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Bubnov, Alexej M.; Novotná, Vladimíra; Hamplová, Věra; Kašpar, Miroslav; Glogarová, Milada

2008-01-01

Roč. 892, 1-3 (2008), 151-157 ISSN 0022-2860 R&D Projects: GA MŠk OC 175; GA AV ČR IAA100100710 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100520 Keywords : lactic acid derivative * liquid crystal * ferroelectric liquid crystal * antiferroelectric phase * hexatic phase * keto group * lactate group Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.594, year: 2008

Large Electro-Optic Kerr-Effect in Ionic Liquid Crystals: Connecting Features of Liquid Crystals and Polyelectrolytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlick, Michael Christian; Kapernaum, Nadia; Neidhardt, Manuel; Wöhrle, Tobias; Stöckl, Yannick; Laschat, Sabine; Gießelmann, Frank

2018-06-06

The electro-optic Kerr effect in the isotropic phase of two ionic liquid crystals (ILCs) is investigated and compared to the Kerr effect in non-ionic liquid crystals (LCs) with same phase sequences, namely direct isotropic to hexagonal columnar transitions and direct isotropic to smectic-A transitions. Up to electric field amplitudes of some 106 V m-1, the optical birefringence induced in the isotropic phases follows Kerr's law and strongly increases when the temperature approaches the transition temperature into the particular liquid crystalline phase. Close to the transition, maximum Kerr constants in the order of 10-11 m V-2 are found, which are more than ten times higher than the Kerr constant of nitrobenzene, a strongly dipolar fluid with a huge Kerr effect applied in optical shutters and phase modulators. In comparison to their non-ionic LC counterparts the Kerr effect in ILCs is found to be enhanced in magnitude, but slowed-down in speed, showing rise times in the order of ten milliseconds. These remarkable differences are attributed to the presence of counterion polarization well-known from complex ionic fluids such as polyelectrolytes or ionic micellar solutions. ILCs thus combine the Kerr effect features of liquid crystals and complex ionic fluids. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Localized modes in optics of photonic liquid crystals with local anisotropy of absorption

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Belyakov, V. A., E-mail: bel1937@mail.ru, E-mail: bel@landau.ac.ru [Russian Academy of Science, Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics (Russian Federation); Semenov, S. V. [National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute,” (Russian Federation)

2016-05-15

The localized optical modes in spiral photonic liquid crystals are theoretically studied for the certainty at the example of chiral liquid crystals (CLCs) for the case of CLC with an anisotropic local absorption. The model adopted here (absence of dielectric interfaces in the structures under investigation) makes it possible to get rid of mixing of polarizations on the surfaces of the CLC layer and of the defect structure and to reduce the corresponding equations to only the equations for light with polarization diffracting in the CLC. The dispersion equations determining connection of the edge mode (EM) and defect mode (DM) frequencies with the CLC layer parameters (anisotropy of local absorption, CLC order parameter) and other parameters of the DMS are obtained. Analytic expressions for the transmission and reflection coefficients of CLC layer and DMS for the case of CLC with an anisotropic local absorption are presented and analyzed. It is shown that the CLC layers with locally anisotropic absorption reduce the EM and DM lifetimes (and increase the lasing threshold) in the way different from the case of CLC with an isotropic local absorption. Due to the Borrmann effect revealing of which is different at the opposite stop-band edges in the case of CLC layers with an anisotropic local absorption the EM life-times for the EM frequencies at the opposite stop-bands edges may be significantly different. The options of experimental observations of the theoretically revealed phenomena are briefly discussed.

Pure chiral optical fibres.

Science.gov (United States)

Poladian, L; Straton, M; Docherty, A; Argyros, A

2011-01-17

We investigate the properties of optical fibres made from chiral materials, in which a contrast in optical activity forms the waveguide, rather than a contrast in the refractive index; we refer to such structures as pure chiral fibres. We present a mathematical formulation for solving the modes of circularly symmetric examples of such fibres and examine the guidance and polarisation properties of pure chiral step-index, Bragg and photonic crystal fibre designs. Their behaviour is shown to differ for left- and right-hand circular polarisation, allowing circular polarisations to be isolated and/or guided by different mechanisms, as well as differing from equivalent non-chiral fibres. The strength of optical activity required in each case is quantified.

UV response on dielectric properties of nano nematic liquid crystal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamal Kumar Pandey

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In this work, we investigate the effect of UV light irradiation on the dielectric parameters of nematic liquid crystal (5CB and ZnO nanoparticles dispersed liquid crystal. With addition of nanoparticles in nematic LC are promising new materials for a variety of application in energy harvesting, displays and photonics including the liquid crystal laser. To realize many applications, however we optimize the properties of liquid crystal and understand how the UV light irradiation interact the nanoparticles and LC molecules in dispersed/doped LC. The dielectric permittivity and loss factor have discussed the pure nematic LC and dispersed/doped system after, during and before UV light exposure. The dielectric relaxation spectroscopy was carried out in the frequency range 100 Hz–10 MHz in the nematic mesophase range. Keywords: Dielectric permittivity, Relaxation frequency, Nematic liquid crystal, UV light irradiation

Liquid crystals: a new topic in physics for undergraduates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pavlin, Jerneja; Čepič, Mojca; Vaupotič, Nataša

2013-01-01

This paper presents a teaching module about liquid crystals. Since liquid crystals are linked to everyday student experiences and are also a topic of current scientific research, they are an excellent candidate for a modern topic to be introduced into education. We show that liquid crystals can provide a pathway through several fields of physics such as thermodynamics, optics and electromagnetism. We discuss what students should learn about liquid crystals and what physical concepts they should know before considering them. In the presentation of the teaching module, which consists of a lecture and experimental work in a chemistry and physics laboratory, we focus on experiments on phase transitions, polarization of light, double refraction and colours. A pilot evaluation of the module was performed among pre-service primary school teachers who have no special preference for natural sciences. The evaluation shows that the module is very efficient in transferring knowledge. A prior study showed that the informally obtained pre-knowledge on liquid crystals of the first-year students from several different fields of study was negligible. Since social science students are the least interested in natural sciences, it can be expected that students in any study programme will on average achieve at least as good qualitative knowledge of phenomena related to liquid crystals as the group involved in the pilot study. (paper)

Young-Laplace equation for liquid crystal interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Rey, Alejandro D.

2000-12-01

This letter uses the classical theories of liquid crystal physics to derive the Young-Laplace equation of capillary hydrostatics for interfaces between viscous isotropic (I) fluids and nematic liquid crystals (NLC's), and establishes the existence of four energy contributions to pressure jumps across these unusual anisotropic interfaces. It is shown that in addition to the usual curvature contribution, bulk and surface gradient elasticity, elastic stress, and anchoring energy contribute to pressure differentials across the interface. The magnitude of the effect is proportional to the elastic moduli of the NLC, and to the bulk and surface orientation gradients that may be present in the nematic phase. In contrast to the planar interface between isotropic fluids, flat liquid crystal interfaces support pressure jumps if elastic stresses, bulk and surface gradient energy, and/or anchoring energies are finite.

Double hydrogen bonded ferroelectric liquid crystals: A study of field induced transition (FiT)

Science.gov (United States)

Vijayakumar, V. N.; Madhu Mohan, M. L. N.

2009-12-01

A novel series of chiral hydrogen bonded liquid crystals have been isolated. Hydrogen bond was formed between chiral nonmesogen ingredient levo tartaric acid and mesogenic p-n-alkoxybenzoic acids. Phase diagram was constructed from the transition temperatures obtained by DSC and polarizing optical microscopic (POM) studies. Thermal and electrical properties exhibited by three complexes namely LTA+8BA, LTA+7BA and LTA+5BA were discussed. Salient feature of the present work was the observation of a reentrant smectic ordering in LTA+8BA complex designated as C r∗ phase. This reentrant phenomenon was confirmed by DSC thermograms, optical textures of POM and temperature variation of capacitance and dielectric loss studies. Tilt angle was measured in smectic C ∗ and reentrant smectic C r∗ phases. Another interesting feature of the present investigation was the observation of a field induced transition (FiT) in the LTA+ nBA homologous series. Three threshold field values were noticed which give rise to two new phases (E 1 and E 2) induced by electric field and on further enhancement of the applied field the mesogen behaves like an optical shutter. FiT is reversible in the sense that when applied field is removed the original texture was restored.

Morphological appearances and photo-controllable coloration of dye-doped cholesteric liquid crystal/polymer coaxial microfibers fabricated by coaxial electrospinning technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Jia-De; Chen, Che-Pei; Chen, Lin-Jer; Chuang, Yu-Chou; Huang, Shuan-Yu; Lee, Chia-Rong

2016-02-08

This study systematically investigates the morphological appearance of azo-chiral dye-doped cholesteric liquid crystal (DDCLC)/polymer coaxial microfibers obtained through the coaxial electrospinning technique and examines, for the first time, their photocontrollable reflection characteristics. Experimental results show that the quasi-continuous electrospun microfibers can be successfully fabricated at a high polymer concentration of 17.5 wt% and an optimum ratio of 2 for the feeding rates of sheath to core materials at 25 °C and a high humidity of 50% ± 2% in the spinning chamber. Furthermore, the optical controllability of the reflective features for the electrospun fibers is studied in detail by changing the concentration of the azo-chiral dopant in the core material, the UV irradiation intensity, and the core diameter of the fibers. Relevant mechanisms are addressed to explain the optical-control behaviors of the DDCLC coaxial fibers. Considering the results, optically controllable DDCLC coaxial microfibers present potential applications in UV microsensors and wearable smart textiles or swabs.

H-Bond stabilized columnar discotic liquid crystals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Paraschiv, I.

2007-01-01

Since 1977, more than 2300 publications on discotic (disk-like) liquid crystalline materials have appeared. Discotic liquid crystals, which usually consist of polyaromatic molecules surrounded by long peripheral alkyl tails, can form liquid crystalline mesophases in a wide temperature range. Within

Hydrothermal decomposition of liquid crystal in subcritical water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhuang, Xuning; He, Wenzhi; Li, Guangming; Huang, Juwen; Lu, Shangming; Hou, Lianjiao

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Hydrothermal technology can effectively decompose the liquid crystal of 4-octoxy-4'-cyanobiphenyl. • The decomposition rate reached 97.6% under the optimized condition. • Octoxy-4'-cyanobiphenyl was mainly decomposed into simple and innocuous products. • The mechanism analysis reveals the decomposition reaction process. - Abstract: Treatment of liquid crystal has important significance for the environment protection and human health. This study proposed a hydrothermal process to decompose the liquid crystal of 4-octoxy-4′-cyanobiphenyl. Experiments were conducted with a 5.7 mL stainless tube reactor and heated by a salt-bath. Factors affecting the decomposition rate of 4-octoxy-4′-cyanobiphenyl were evaluated with HPLC. The decomposed liquid products were characterized by GC-MS. Under optimized conditions i.e., 0.2 mL H 2 O 2 supply, pH value 6, temperature 275 °C and reaction time 5 min, 97.6% of 4-octoxy-4′-cyanobiphenyl was decomposed into simple and environment-friendly products. Based on the mechanism analysis and products characterization, a possible hydrothermal decomposition pathway was proposed. The results indicate that hydrothermal technology is a promising choice for liquid crystal treatment

Magnetic, electrical and optical properties of liquid crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Florea, S.C.

1980-01-01

This thesis lays stress on the study of thermotrop nematic liquid crystals. But the crystals whose mesomorphism is achieved by an increase and decrease in temperature and the crystal category exhibiting a mesomorphism in a deep freezing phase are also studied. The results of the research carried out in the laboratory of ''active media, lasers and matter-radiation interactions'' of the Institute for Physics and Technology of Radiation Apparata as well as in the laboratories of liquid crystals and nuclear magnetic resonance of the Polytechnical Institute of Bucharest during seven years have had in view two main objectives: to elucidate and prove experimentally a new mechanism of nuclear relaxation in liquid crystals, proposed by the author; to use the current experimental techniques and methods applied in the above-mentioned laboratories to characterize and test some foreign mesomorphic media which are synthesized locally, providing a wide range of applications, such as colour television. (author)

Circular dichroism in a three-dimensional semiconductor chiral photonic crystal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takahashi, S.; Ota, Y.; Tatebayashi, J. [Institute of Nano Quantum Information Electronics, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8505 (Japan); Tajiri, T. [Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8505 (Japan); Iwamoto, S.; Arakawa, Y. [Institute of Nano Quantum Information Electronics, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8505 (Japan); Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8505 (Japan)

2014-08-04

Circular dichroism covering the telecommunication band is experimentally demonstrated in a semiconductor-based three-dimensional chiral photonic crystal (PhC). We design a rotationally stacked woodpile PhC structure where neighboring layers are rotated by 60° and three layers construct a single helical unit. The mirror-asymmetric PhC made from GaAs with sub-micron periodicity is fabricated by a micro-manipulation technique. Due to the large contrast of refractive indices between GaAs and air, the experimentally obtained circular dichroism extends over a wide wavelength range, with the transmittance of right-handed circularly polarized incident light being 85% and that of left-handed light being 15% at a wavelength of 1.3 μm. The obtained results show good agreement with numerical simulations.

Tunable Channel Drop Filter in a Two-Dimensional Photonic Crystal Modulated by a Nematic Liquid Crystal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Photonic crystals (PCs have many potential applications because of their ability to control light-wave propagation and because PC-based waveguides may be integrated into optical circuits. We propose a novel tunable PC channel drop filter based on nematic liquid crystals and investigate its properties numerically by using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD method. The refractive indices of liquid crystals can be actively modulated after infiltrating nematic liquid crystals into the microcavity in PC waveguides with square lattices. Then we can control light propagation in a PC waveguide. We analyze the Q -factors and resonance frequencies of a tunable PC channel drop filter by considering various indices modulation of liquid crystals. The novel component can be used as wavelength division multiplexing in photonic integrated circuits.

Synthesis of novel liquid crystal compounds and their blood compatibility as anticoagulative materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tu Mei; Cha Zhenhang; Feng Bohua; Zhou Changren

2006-01-01

The objective of this study was to synthesize new types of cholesteric liquid crystal compounds and study the anticoagulative properties of their composite membranes. Three kinds of cholesteric liquid crystal compounds were synthesized and characterized by infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and optical polarizing microscope. The polysiloxane, as a substrate, was blended with three liquid crystal compounds and was then used as membranes. The anticoagulative property of different polysiloxane liquid crystal composite membranes was identified by the blood compatibility tests. Three cholesteryl liquid crystals synthesized in this work contained hydrophilic soft chains and presented iridescent texture owned by cholesteric liquid crystals in the range of their liquid crystal state temperature, but only cholesteryl acryloyl oxytetraethylene glycol carbonate was in the liquid crystal state at body temperature. When liquid crystals were blended with polysiloxane to form polysiloxane/liquid crystal composite membranes, the haemocompatibility of these membranes could be improved to some extent. The blood compatibility of composite membranes whose hydrophilic property was the best was more excellent than that of other composite membranes, fewer platelets adhered and spread, and showed little distortion on the surface of materials

Chiral phase transition and Anderson localization in the instanton liquid model for QCD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia-Garcia, Antonio M.; Osborn, James C.

2006-01-01

We study the spectrum and eigenmodes of the QCD Dirac operator in a gauge background given by an instanton liquid model (ILM) at temperatures around the chiral phase transition. Generically we find the Dirac eigenvectors become more localized as the temperature is increased. At the chiral phase transition, both the low lying eigenmodes and the spectrum of the QCD Dirac operator undergo a transition to localization similar to the one observed in a disordered conductor. This suggests that Anderson localization is the fundamental mechanism driving the chiral phase transition. We also find an additional temperature dependent mobility edge (separating delocalized from localized eigenstates) in the bulk of the spectrum which moves toward lower eigenvalues as the temperature is increased. In both regions, the origin and the bulk, the transition to localization exhibits features of a 3D Anderson transition including multifractal eigenstates and spectral properties that are well described by critical statistics. Similar results are obtained in both the quenched and the unquenched case though the critical temperature in the unquenched case is lower. Finally we argue that our findings are not in principle restricted to the ILM approximation and may also be found in lattice simulations

Effect of alkyl chain length in the terminal ester group on mesomorphic properties of new chiral lactic acid derivatives

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kohout, M.; Bubnov, Alexej; Šturala, J.; Novotná, Vladimíra; Svoboda, J.

2016-01-01

Roč. 43, č. 10 (2016), s. 1472-1485 ISSN 0267-8292 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LD14007 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : chiral liquid crystal * lactic acid derivative * terminal ester group * mesomorphic properties * dielectric spectroscopy * layer shrinkage Subject RIV: JJ - Other Materials Impact factor: 2.661, year: 2016

Nanoparticles Doped, Photorefractive Liquid Crystals

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kaczmarek, Malgosia

2005-01-01

...: The main objectives of this exploratory, short project will concern the study of the quality of liquid crystal cells with diluted suspensions of ferroelectric nanoparticles and their photorefractive properties...

Induced Magnetic Anisotropy in Liquid Crystals Doped with Resonant Semiconductor Nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vicente Marzal

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Currently, there are many efforts to improve the electrooptical properties of liquid crystals by means of doping them with different types of nanoparticles. In addition, liquid crystals may be used as active media to dynamically control other interesting phenomena, such as light scattering resonances. In this sense, mixtures of resonant nanoparticles hosted in a liquid crystal could be a potential metamaterial with interesting properties. In this work, the artificial magnetism induced in a mixture of semiconductor nanoparticles surrounded by a liquid crystal is analyzed. Effective magnetic permeability of mixtures has been obtained using the Maxwell-Garnett effective medium theory. Furthermore, permeability variations with nanoparticles size and their concentration in the liquid crystal, as well as the magnetic anisotropy, have been studied.

Spectral signatures of chirality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Jesper Goor; Mortensen, Asger

2009-01-01

We present a new way of measuring chirality, via the spectral shift of photonic band gaps in one-dimensional structures. We derive an explicit mapping of the problem of oblique incidence of circularly polarized light on a chiral one-dimensional photonic crystal with negligible index contrast...... to the formally equivalent problem of linearly polarized light incident on-axis on a non-chiral structure with index contrast. We derive analytical expressions for the first-order shifts of the band gaps for negligible index contrast. These are modified to give good approximations to the band gap shifts also...

Photo-responsive surface topology in chiral nematic media

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Danqing; Bastiaansen, Cees W. M.; Toonder, Jaap. M. J.; Broer, Dirk J.

2012-03-01

We report on the design and fabrication of 'smart surfaces' that exhibit dynamic changes in their surface topology in response to exposure to light. The principle is based on anisotropic geometric changes of a liquid crystal network upon a change of the molecular order parameter. The photomechanical property of the coating is induced by incorporating an azobenzene moiety into the liquid crystal network. The responsive surface topology consists of regions with two different types of molecular order: planar chiral-nematic areas and homeotropic. Under flood exposure with 365 nm light the surfaces deform from flat to one with a surface relief. The height of the relief structures is of the order of 1 um corresponding to strain difference of around 20%. Furthermore, we demonstrate surface reliefs can form either convex or concave structures upon exposure to UV light corresponding to the decrease or increase molecular order parameter, respectively, related to the isomeric state of the azobenzene crosslinker. The reversible deformation to the initial flat state occurs rapidly after removing the light source.

({alpha},{eta}) phase diagrams in tilted chiral smectics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rjili, M., E-mail: medrjili@yahoo.fr [Laboratoire de Physique de la Matiere Molle et de la Modelisation Electromagnetique, Faculte des Sciences de Tunis, Universite Tunis El Manar, 2092 El Manar Tunis (Tunisia); Marcerou, J.P., E-mail: marcerou@crpp-bordeaux.cnrs.fr [Centre de Recherches Paul Pascal, 115, Av. Albert-Schweitzer, 33600 Pessac (France); Gharbi, A.; Othman, T. [Laboratoire de Physique de la Matiere Molle et de la Modelisation Electromagnetique, Faculte des Sciences de Tunis, Universite Tunis El Manar, 2092 El Manar Tunis (Tunisia)

2013-02-01

The polymorphism of tilted chiral smectics liquid crystals is incredibly rich and encompasses many subphases such as SmC{sub A}{sup Low-Asterisk }; SmC{sub Fi1}{sup Low-Asterisk }; SmC{sub Fi2}{sup Low-Asterisk }; SmC{sup Low-Asterisk }; SmC{sub {alpha}}{sup Low-Asterisk }. The continuum theory established by Marcerou (2010) is used to derive an expression for the free energy density of those subphases. The minimization of this free energy is obtained through a combination of analytical and numerical methods. It leads to a phase diagram built in the ({alpha},{eta}) plane where {alpha} is local angular parameter and {eta} describes the variation of the temperature. From this graphical representation, many experimentally observed phase sequences of ferroelectric liquid crystals can be explained, even them including subphases which were recently observed like the SmC{sub 5}{sup Low-Asterisk} and the SmC{sub 6}{sup Low-Asterisk} ones. However, it should be emphasized that the details of predicted phase diagram are strongly dependent on the compound studied.

Magnetic, electric and optic properties of liquid crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Florea, St.C.

1980-01-01

We study the nematic liquid crystals of thermotrop type. We also studied the crystals whose mesomorphism occured both at temperature increasing and decreasing and during the supercooling phase (monotrope). Investigation results performed by us have had in view the following: clearing up and experimental support of a new mechanism of nuclear relaxation in liquid crystals, proposed by author; usage of experimental techniques and methods for to characterize and test some mesomorph media used in very important applications, such as color TV. (author)

Liquid crystals for organic thin-film transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Iino, Hiroaki; Usui, Takayuki; Hanna, Jun-Ichi

2015-04-01

Crystalline thin films of organic semiconductors are a good candidate for field effect transistor (FET) materials in printed electronics. However, there are currently two main problems, which are associated with inhomogeneity and poor thermal durability of these films. Here we report that liquid crystalline materials exhibiting a highly ordered liquid crystal phase of smectic E (SmE) can solve both these problems. We design a SmE liquid crystalline material, 2-decyl-7-phenyl-[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (Ph-BTBT-10), for FETs and synthesize it. This material provides uniform and molecularly flat polycrystalline thin films reproducibly when SmE precursor thin films are crystallized, and also exhibits high durability of films up to 200 °C. In addition, the mobility of FETs is dramatically enhanced by about one order of magnitude (over 10 cm2 V-1 s-1) after thermal annealing at 120 °C in bottom-gate-bottom-contact FETs. We anticipate the use of SmE liquid crystals in solution-processed FETs may help overcome upcoming difficulties with novel technologies for printed electronics.

NMR studies of liquid crystals and molecules dissolved in liquid crystal solvents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Drobny, Gary Peter [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

1982-11-01

This thesis describes several studies in which nuclear magnetic resonance (nmr) spectroscopy has been used to probe the structure, orientation and dynamics of liquid crystal mesogens and molecules dissolved in liquid crystalline phases. In addition, a modern high field nmr spectrometer is described which has been used to perform such nmr studies. Chapter 1 introduces the quantum mechanical formalisms used throughout this thesis and briefly reviews the fundamentals of nuclear spin physics and pulsed nmr spectroscopy. First the density operator is described and a specific form for the canonical ensemble is derived. Then Clebsch-Gordon coefficients, Wigner rotation matrices, and irreducible tensor operators are reviewed. An expression for the equilibrium (Curie) magnetization is obtained and the linear response of a spin system to a strong pulsed r.f. irradiation is described. Finally, the spin interaction Hamiltonians relevant to this work are reviewed together with their truncated forms. Chapter 2 is a deuterium magnetic resonance study of two 'nom' liquid crystals which possess several low temperature mesomorphic phases. Specifically, deuterium quadrupolar echo spectroscopy is used to determine the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules in smectic phases, the changes in molecular orientation and motion that occur at smectic-smectic phase transitions, and the order of the phase transitions. For both compounds, the phase sequence is determined to be isotropic, nematic, smectic A, smectic C, smectic B_A, smectic B_C, and crystalline. The structure of the smectic A phase is found to be consistent with the well-known model of a two dimensional liquid in which molecules are rapidly rotating about their long axes and oriented at right angles to the plane of the layers. Molecules in the smectic C phase are found to have their long axes tilted with respect to the layer normal, and the tilt angle is temperature dependent, increasing from

Chiral pyrrolidinium salts derived from menthol as precursor – synthesis and properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janus Ewa

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Six new chiral pyrolidinium salts with chiral substituent at quaternary nitrogen atom were synthesized with high overall yields from (--menthol as cheap chiral precursor and were identified by NMR and HRMS spectroscopy. It was shown that anion type had the effect on chemical shift of protons adjacent to quaternary nitrogen atom and physical properties of these salts. Salts with NTf2 or NPf2 were in a liquid state at room temperature and characterized with the highest thermal stability among others. Furthermore, chiral ionic liquid with NTf2 anion was used as solvent in Diels-Alder reaction and gave higher yield and stereoselectivity than in ionic liquids with achiral cations. Synthesized chiral salts have the potential as chiral solvents in synthesis and auxiliaries in analytical methods to improve chiral recognition.

Parity violation and parity conservation in unstirred crystallization: Effect of first crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Szurgot, M. [Center of Mathematics and Physics, Technical University of Lodz (Poland)

2012-02-15

Statistics of nucleation of chiral forms was studied to establish the effect of the number of first crystals and their handedness on distributions of enantiomers. Various bimodal, trimodal and unimodal distributions are obtained in unstirred crystallization, depending on the number of initial crystals and growth conditions. The binomial distribution satisfactorily describes experimental distributions of enantiomeric excess and may be used to predict distributions and probabilities of nucleation of enantiomers. The first nucleated crystals determine the handedness of secondary crystals, and number of initial crystals governs statistics of chiral nucleation. According to the binomial distribution if single crystals nucleate as the first, the bimodal distributions result with D and L peaks. If LD, LL, and DD pairs are nucleated as first, trimodal distributions with D, R, and L peaks are created, and if groups of crystals of various handedness nucleate as the first the unimodal distributions of enantiomeric excess with racemate R peaks are formed. Chiral nucleation experiments on sodium bromate were the basis for the theoretical considerations and verifications of predictions resulting from binomial distributions on probabilities of the creation of L and D crystals, and racemates, and the presence of D, L, and R peaks in the distributions. Growth conditions affect the number of the first crystals and effectiveness of cloning, and as a result, the distributions of enantiomers. Formation of pure enantiomers and/or racemates proves that the conservation of chiral symmetry, and the breakage of chiral symmetry can occur in unstirred crystallization. (copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Chiral forces and molecular dissymmetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohan, R.

1992-01-01

Chiral molecules leading to helical macromolecules seem to preserve information and extend it better. In the biological world RNA is the very paradigm for self-replication, elongation and autocatalytic editing. The nucleic acid itself is not chiral. It acquires its chirality by association with D-sugars. Although the chiral information or selectivity put in by the unit monomer is no longer of much interest to the biologists - they tend to leave it to the Darwinian selection principle to take care of it as illustrated by Frank's model - it is vital to understand the origin of chirality. There are three different approaches for the chiral origin of life: (1) Phenomenological, (2) Electromagnetic molecular and Coriolis forces and (3) Atomic or nuclear force, the neutral weak current. The phenomenological approach involves spontaneous symmetry breaking fluctuations in far for equilibrium systems or nucleation and crystallization. Chance plays a major role in the chiral molecule selected

Influence of rubbing-alignment on microwave modulation induced by liquid crystal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenjiang Ye

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The microwave modulation induced by liquid crystal is decided by the liquid crystal director distribution under an external applied voltage. The rubbing-alignment of substrate has an effect on the liquid crystal director, which must result in the change of microwave phase-shift. To illustrate the influence of rubbing-alignment on the microwave phase-shift, the microwave modulation property of twisted nematic liquid crystal is researched adopting the elastic theory of liquid crystal and the finite-difference iterative method. The variations of microwave phase-shift per unit-length for different pre-tilt and pre-twist angles of liquid crystal on the substrate surface and anchoring energy strengths with the applied voltage are numerically simulated. The result indicates that with the increase of pre-tilt angle and with the decrease of anchoring energy strength the weak anchoring twisted cell with pre-twisted angle 90° relative to the strong anchoring non-twisted cell can increase the microwave phase-shift per unit-length. As a result, for achieving the maximum microwave modulation, the weak anchoring twisted cell with pre-tilt angle 5° and anchoring energy strength 1×10−5J/m2 should be selected, which provides a reliably theoretical foundation for the design of liquid crystal microwave modulator.

Characterising laser beams with liquid crystal displays

Science.gov (United States)

Dudley, Angela; Naidoo, Darryl; Forbes, Andrew

2016-02-01

We show how one can determine the various properties of light, from the modal content of laser beams to decoding the information stored in optical fields carrying orbital angular momentum, by performing a modal decomposition. Although the modal decomposition of light has been known for a long time, applied mostly to pattern recognition, we illustrate how this technique can be implemented with the use of liquid-crystal displays. We show experimentally how liquid crystal displays can be used to infer the intensity, phase, wavefront, Poynting vector, and orbital angular momentum density of unknown optical fields. This measurement technique makes use of a single spatial light modulator (liquid crystal display), a Fourier transforming lens and detector (CCD or photo-diode). Such a diagnostic tool is extremely relevant to the real-time analysis of solid-state and fibre laser systems as well as mode division multiplexing as an emerging technology in optical communication.

Polarization-independent nematic liquid crystal waveguides for optofluidic applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

d'Alessandro, A.; Martini, L.; Gilardi, G.; Beccherelli, R.; Asquini, R.

2015-01-01

We present the fabrication and the characterization of waveguides made of a nematic liquid crystal infiltrated in poly(dimethylsiloxane) channels. They are made by means of cast and molding technique and patterned using soft photolithography. The orientation of the nematic liquid crystal molecules

Intrinsic Chirality Origination in Carbon Nanotubes.

Science.gov (United States)

Pierce, Neal; Chen, Gugang; P Rajukumar, Lakshmy; Chou, Nam Hawn; Koh, Ai Leen; Sinclair, Robert; Maruyama, Shigeo; Terrones, Mauricio; Harutyunyan, Avetik R

2017-10-24

Elucidating the origin of carbon nanotube chirality is key for realizing their untapped potential. Currently, prevalent theories suggest that catalyst structure originates chirality via an epitaxial relationship. Here we studied chirality abundances of carbon nanotubes grown on floating liquid Ga droplets, which excludes the influence of catalyst features, and compared them with abundances grown on solid Ru nanoparticles. Results of growth on liquid droplets bolsters the intrinsic preference of carbon nuclei toward certain chiralities. Specifically, the abundance of the (11,1)/χ = 4.31° tube can reach up to 95% relative to (9,4)/χ = 17.48°, although they have exactly the same diameter, (9.156 Å). However, the comparative abundances for the pair, (19,3)/χ = 7.2° and (17,6)/χ = 14.5°, with bigger diameter, (16.405 Å), fluctuate depending on synthesis temperature. The abundances of the same pairs of tubes grown on floating solid polyhedral Ru nanoparticles show completely different trends. Analysis of abundances in relation to nucleation probability, represented by a product of the Zeldovich factor and the deviation interval of a growing nuclei from equilibrium critical size, explain the findings. We suggest that the chirality in the nanotube in general is a result of interplay between intrinsic preference of carbon cluster and induction by catalyst structure. This finding can help to build the comprehensive theory of nanotube growth and offers a prospect for chirality-preferential synthesis of carbon nanotubes by the exploitation of liquid catalyst droplets.

A helical naphthopyran dopant for photoresponsive cholesteric liquid crystals

OpenAIRE

Kim, Yuna; Frigoli, Michel; Vanthuyne, Nicolas; Tamaoki, Nobuyuki

2017-01-01

The first photoresponsive cholesteric liquid crystal comprising a photoisomerizable helical naphthopyran derivative dopant and a nematic liquid crystal is reported. An unprecedented helical twisting power switching ratio of over 90% allowed us to demonstrate multi-cycle rotational motion of micro-objects by UV light irradiation.

Effects of thermo-order-mechanical coupling on band structures in liquid crystal nematic elastomer porous phononic crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Shuai; Liu, Ying

2018-08-01

Liquid crystal nematic elastomers are one kind of smart anisotropic and viscoelastic solids simultaneously combing the properties of rubber and liquid crystals, which is thermal sensitivity. In this paper, the wave dispersion in a liquid crystal nematic elastomer porous phononic crystal subjected to an external thermal stimulus is theoretically investigated. Firstly, an energy function is proposed to determine thermo-induced deformation in NE periodic structures. Based on this function, thermo-induced band variation in liquid crystal nematic elastomer porous phononic crystals is investigated in detail. The results show that when liquid crystal elastomer changes from nematic state to isotropic state due to the variation of the temperature, the absolute band gaps at different bands are opened or closed. There exists a threshold temperature above which the absolute band gaps are opened or closed. Larger porosity benefits the opening of the absolute band gaps. The deviation of director from the structural symmetry axis is advantageous for the absolute band gap opening in nematic state whist constrains the absolute band gap opening in isotropic state. The combination effect of temperature and director orientation provides an added degree of freedom in the intelligent tuning of the absolute band gaps in phononic crystals. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chiral twist drives raft formation and organization in membranes composed of rod-like particles

Science.gov (United States)

Lubensky, Tom C.

2017-01-01

Lipid rafts are hypothesized to facilitate protein interaction, tension regulation, and trafficking in biological membranes, but the mechanisms responsible for their formation and maintenance are not clear. Insights into many other condensed matter phenomena have come from colloidal systems, whose micron-scale particles mimic basic properties of atoms and molecules but permit dynamic visualization with single-particle resolution. Recently, experiments showed that bidisperse mixtures of filamentous viruses can self-assemble into colloidal monolayers with thermodynamically stable rafts exhibiting chiral structure and repulsive interactions. We quantitatively explain these observations by modeling the membrane particles as chiral liquid crystals. Chiral twist promotes the formation of finite-sized rafts and mediates a repulsion that distributes them evenly throughout the membrane. Although this system is composed of filamentous viruses whose aggregation is entropically driven by dextran depletants instead of phospholipids and cholesterol with prominent electrostatic interactions, colloidal and biological membranes share many of the same physical symmetries. Chiral twist can contribute to the behavior of both systems and may account for certain stereospecific effects observed in molecular membranes. PMID:27999184

Thermo-, photo-, and mechano-responsive liquid crystal networks enable tunable photonic crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Akamatsu, N; Hisano, K; Tatsumi, R; Aizawa, M; Barrett, C J; Shishido, A

2017-10-25

Tunable photonic crystals exhibiting optical properties that respond reversibly to external stimuli have been developed using liquid crystal networks (LCNs) and liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs). These tunable photonic crystals possess an inverse opal structure and are photo-responsive, but circumvent the usual requirement to contain dye molecules in the structure that often limit their applicability and cause optical degradation. Herein, we report tunable photonic crystal films that reversibly tune the reflection peak wavelength under thermo-, photo- and mechano-stimuli, through bilayering a stimuli-responsive LCN including azobenzene units with a colourless inverse opal film composed of non-responsive, flexible durable polymers. By mechanically deforming the azobenzene containing LCN via various stimuli, the reflection peak wavelength from the bilayered film assembly could be shifted on demand. We confirm that the reflection peak shift occurs due to the deformation of the stimuli-responsive layer propagating towards and into the inverse opal layer to change its shape in response, and this shift behaviour is repeatable without optical degradation.

Molecular dynamics of liquid crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Sarman, Sten

1997-02-01

We derive Green-Kubo relations for the viscosities of a nematic liquid crystal. The derivation is based on the application of a Gaussian constraint algorithm that makes the director angular velocity of a liquid crystal a constant of motion. Setting this velocity equal to zero means that a director-based coordinate system becomes an inertial frame and that the constraint torques do not do any work on the system. The system consequently remains in equilibrium. However, one generates a different equilibrium ensemble. The great advantage of this ensemble is that the Green-Kubo relations for the viscosities become linear combinations of time correlation function integrals, whereas they are complicated rational functions in the conventional canonical ensemble. This facilitates the numerical evaluation of the viscosities by molecular dynamics simulations.

Nanoparticle guests in lyotropic liquid crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Dölle, Sarah; Park, Ji Hyun; Schymura, Stefan; Jo, Hyeran; Scalia, Giusy; Lagerwall, Jan P. F.

In this chapter we discuss the benefits, peculiarities and main challenges related to nanoparticle templating in lyotropic liquid crystals. We first give a brief bird's-eye view of the field, discussing different nanoparticles as well as different lyotropic hosts that have been explored, but then quickly focus on the dispersion of carbon nanotubes in surfactant-based lyotropic nematic phases. We discuss in some detail how the transfer of orientational order from liquid crystal host to nanoparticle guest can be verified and which degree of ordering can be expected, as well as the importance of choosing the right surfactant and its concentration for the stability of the nanoparticle suspension. We introduce a method for dispersing nanoparticles with an absolute minimum of stabilizing surfactant, based on dispersion below the Krafft temperature, and we discuss the peculiar phenomenon of filament formation in lyotropic nematic phases with a sufficient concentration of well-dispersed carbon nanotubes. Finally, we describe how the total surfactant concentration in micellar nematics can be greatly reduced by combining cat- and anionic surfactants, and we discuss how nanotubes can help in inducing the liquid crystal phase close to the isotropic-nematic boundary.

Monolayer self-assembly at liquid-solid interfaces: chirality and electronic properties of molecules at surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amabilino, David B; Gomar-Nadal, Elba; Veciana, Jaume; Rovira, Concepcio; Iavicoli, Patrizia; PuigmartI-Luis, Josep; Feyter, Steven De; Abdel-Mottaleb, Mohamed M; Mamdouh, Wael; Psychogyiopoulou, Krystallia; Xu Hong; Lazzaroni, Roberto; Linares, Mathieu; Minoia, Andrea

2008-01-01

The spontaneous formation of supramolecular assemblies at the boundary between solids and liquids is a process which encompasses a variety of systems with diverse characteristics: chemisorbed systems in which very strong and weakly reversible bonds govern the assembly and physisorbed aggregates which are dynamic thanks to the weaker interactions between adsorbate and surface. Here we review the interest and advances in the study of chiral systems at the liquid-solid interface, and also the application of this configuration for the study of systems of interest in molecular electronics, self-assembled from the bottom up

High Resolution Displays Using NCAP Liquid Crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Macknick, A. Brian; Jones, Phil; White, Larry

1989-07-01

Nematic curvilinear aligned phase (NCAP) liquid crystals have been found useful for high information content video displays. NCAP materials are liquid crystals which have been encapsulated in a polymer matrix and which have a light transmission which is variable with applied electric fields. Because NCAP materials do not require polarizers, their on-state transmission is substantially better than twisted nematic cells. All dimensional tolerances are locked in during the encapsulation process and hence there are no critical sealing or spacing issues. By controlling the polymer/liquid crystal morphology, switching speeds of NCAP materials have been significantly improved over twisted nematic systems. Recent work has combined active matrix addressing with NCAP materials. Active matrices, such as thin film transistors, have given displays of high resolution. The paper will discuss the advantages of NCAP materials specifically designed for operation at video rates on transistor arrays; applications for both backlit and projection displays will be discussed.

Asymmetric Strecker Synthesis of α-Amino Acids via a Crystallization-Induced Asymmetric Transformation Using (R)-Phenylglycine Amide as Chiral Auxiliary

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boesten, Wilhelmus H.J.; Seerden, Jean-Paul G.; Lange, Ben de; Dielemans, Hubertus J.A.; Elsenberg, Henk L.M.; Kaptein, Bernard; Moody, Harold M.; Kellogg, Richard M.; Broxterman, Quirinus B.

2001-01-01

Diastereoselective Strecker reactions based on (R)-phenylglycine amide as chiral auxiliary are reported. The Strecker reaction is accompanied by an in situ crystallization-induced asymmetric transformation, whereby one diastereomer selectively precipitates and can be isolated in 76-93% yield and dr

Electrically tunable zero dispersion wavelengths in photonic crystal fibers filled with a dual frequency addressable liquid crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wahle, Markus; Kitzerow, Heinz-Siegfried

2015-01-01

We present a liquid crystal (LC) infiltrated photonic crystal fiber, which enables the electrical tuning of the position of zero dispersion wavelengths (ZDWs). A dual frequency addressable liquid crystal is aligned perpendicular on the inclusion walls of a photonic crystal fiber, which results in an escaped radial director field. The orientation of the LC is controlled by applying an external electric field. Due to the high index of the liquid crystal the fiber guides light by the photonic band gap effect. Multiple ZDWs exist in the visible and near infrared. The positions of the ZDWs can be either blue or red shifted depending on the frequency of the applied voltage

Recent Advances in Discotic Liquid Crystal-Assisted Nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ashwathanarayana Gowda

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This article primarily summarizes recent advancement in the field of discotic liquid crystal (DLC nanocomposites. Discotic liquid crystals are nanostructured materials, usually 2 to 6 nm size and have been recognized as organic semiconducting materials. Recently, it has been observed that the dispersion of small concentration of various functionalized zero-, one- and two-dimensional nanomaterials in the supramolecular order of mesophases of DLCs imparts negligible impact on liquid crystalline properties but enhances their thermal, supramolecular and electronic properties. Synthesis, characterization and dispersion of various nanoparticles in different discotics are presented.

Chiral ligand exchange high-speed countercurrent chromatography: mechanism, application and comparison with conventional liquid chromatography in enantioseparation of aromatic α-hydroxyl acids

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Shengqiang; Shen, Mangmang; Cheng, Dongping; Ito, Yoichiro; Yan, Jizhong

2014-01-01

This work concentrates on the separation mechanism and application of chiral ligand exchange high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) in enantioseparations, and comparison with traditional chiral ligand exchange high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The enantioseparation of ten aromatic α-hydroxyl acids were performed by these two chromatographic methods. Results showed that five of the racemates were successfully enantioseparated by HSCCC while only three of the racemates could be enantioseparated by HPLC using a suitable chiral ligand mobile phase additive. For HSCCC, the two-phase solvent system was composed of butanol-water (1:1, v/v), to which N-n-dodecyl-L-proline was added in the organic phase as chiral ligand and cupric acetate was added in the aqueous phase as a transition metal ion. Various operation parameters in HSCCC were optimized by enantioselective liquid-liquid extraction. Based on the results of the present studies the separation mechanism for HSCCC was proposed. For HPLC, the optimized mobile phase composed of aqueous solution containing 6 mmol L−1 L-phenylalanine and 3 mmol L−1 cupric sulfate and methanol was used for enantioseparation. Among three ligands tested on a conventional reverse stationary phase column, only one was found to be effective. In the present studies HSCCC presented unique advantages due to its high versatility of two-phase solvent systems and it could be used as an alternative method for enantioseparations. PMID:25087742

Liquid crystal alignment in electro-responsive nanostructured thermosetting materials based on block copolymer dispersed liquid crystal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tercjak, A; Garcia, I; Mondragon, I [Materials-Technologies Group, Departamento IngenierIa Quimica y M Ambiente, Escuela Politecnica, Universidad PaIs Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Plaza Europa 1, E-20018 Donostia-San Sebastian (Spain)], E-mail: scptesza@sc.ehu.es, E-mail: inaki.mondragon@ehu.es

2008-07-09

Novel well-defined nanostructured thermosetting systems were prepared by modification of a diglicydylether of bisphenol-A epoxy resin (DGEBA) with 10 or 15 wt% amphiphilic poly(styrene-b-ethylene oxide) block copolymer (PSEO) and 30 or 40 wt% low molecular weight liquid crystal 4'-(hexyl)-4-biphenyl-carbonitrile (HBC) using m-xylylenediamine (MXDA) as a curing agent. The competition between well-defined nanostructured materials and the ability for alignment of the liquid crystal phase in the materials obtained has been studied by atomic and electrostatic force microscopy, AFM and EFM, respectively. Based on our knowledge, this is the first time that addition of an adequate amount (10 wt%) of a block copolymer to 40 wt% HBC-(DGEBA/MXDA) leads to a well-organized nanostructured thermosetting system (between a hexagonal and worm-like ordered structure), which is also electro-responsive with high rate contrast. This behavior was confirmed using electrostatic force microscopy (EFM), by means of the response of the HBC liquid crystal phase to the voltage applied to the EFM tip. In contrast, though materials containing 15 wt% PSEO and 30 wt% HBC also form a well-defined nanostructured thermosetting system, they do not show such a high contrast between the uncharged and charged surface.

Liquid crystal alignment in electro-responsive nanostructured thermosetting materials based on block copolymer dispersed liquid crystal.

Science.gov (United States)

Tercjak, A; Garcia, I; Mondragon, I

2008-07-09

Novel well-defined nanostructured thermosetting systems were prepared by modification of a diglicydylether of bisphenol-A epoxy resin (DGEBA) with 10 or 15 wt% amphiphilic poly(styrene-b-ethylene oxide) block copolymer (PSEO) and 30 or 40 wt% low molecular weight liquid crystal 4'-(hexyl)-4-biphenyl-carbonitrile (HBC) using m-xylylenediamine (MXDA) as a curing agent. The competition between well-defined nanostructured materials and the ability for alignment of the liquid crystal phase in the materials obtained has been studied by atomic and electrostatic force microscopy, AFM and EFM, respectively. Based on our knowledge, this is the first time that addition of an adequate amount (10 wt%) of a block copolymer to 40 wt% HBC-(DGEBA/MXDA) leads to a well-organized nanostructured thermosetting system (between a hexagonal and worm-like ordered structure), which is also electro-responsive with high rate contrast. This behavior was confirmed using electrostatic force microscopy (EFM), by means of the response of the HBC liquid crystal phase to the voltage applied to the EFM tip. In contrast, though materials containing 15 wt% PSEO and 30 wt% HBC also form a well-defined nanostructured thermosetting system, they do not show such a high contrast between the uncharged and charged surface.

Liquid crystal alignment in electro-responsive nanostructured thermosetting materials based on block copolymer dispersed liquid crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tercjak, A; Garcia, I; Mondragon, I

2008-01-01

Novel well-defined nanostructured thermosetting systems were prepared by modification of a diglicydylether of bisphenol-A epoxy resin (DGEBA) with 10 or 15 wt% amphiphilic poly(styrene-b-ethylene oxide) block copolymer (PSEO) and 30 or 40 wt% low molecular weight liquid crystal 4'-(hexyl)-4-biphenyl-carbonitrile (HBC) using m-xylylenediamine (MXDA) as a curing agent. The competition between well-defined nanostructured materials and the ability for alignment of the liquid crystal phase in the materials obtained has been studied by atomic and electrostatic force microscopy, AFM and EFM, respectively. Based on our knowledge, this is the first time that addition of an adequate amount (10 wt%) of a block copolymer to 40 wt% HBC-(DGEBA/MXDA) leads to a well-organized nanostructured thermosetting system (between a hexagonal and worm-like ordered structure), which is also electro-responsive with high rate contrast. This behavior was confirmed using electrostatic force microscopy (EFM), by means of the response of the HBC liquid crystal phase to the voltage applied to the EFM tip. In contrast, though materials containing 15 wt% PSEO and 30 wt% HBC also form a well-defined nanostructured thermosetting system, they do not show such a high contrast between the uncharged and charged surface

New chiral zwitterionic phosphorus heterocycles: synthesis, structure, properties and application as chiral solvating agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheshenev, Andrey E; Boltukhina, Ekaterina V; Grishina, Anastasiya A; Cisařova, Ivana; Lyapkalo, Ilya M; Hii, King Kuok Mimi

2013-06-17

A family of new chiral zwitterionic phosphorus-containing heterocycles (zPHC) have been derived from methylene-bridged bis(imidazolines). These structures were unambiguously determined, including single-crystal XRD analysis for two compounds. The stability, acid/base and electronic properties of these dipolar phosphorus heterocycles were subsequently investigated. zPHCs can be successfully employed as a new class of chiral solvating agents for the enantiodifferentiation of chiral carboxylic and sulfonic acids by NMR spectroscopy. The stoichiometry and binding constants for the donor-acceptor complexes formed were established by NMR titration methods. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Nonlinear spectroscopic studies of chiral media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belkin, Mikhail Alexandrovich

2004-01-01

Molecular chirality plays an important role in chemistry, biology, and medicine. Traditional optical techniques for probing chirality, such as circular dichroism and Raman optical activity rely on electric-dipole forbidden transitions. As a result, their intrinsic low sensitivity limits their use to probe bulk chirality rather than chiral surfaces, monolayers or thin films often important for chemical or biological systems. Contrary to the traditional chirality probes, chiral signal in sum-frequency generation (SFG) is electric-dipole allowed both on chiral surface and in chiral bulk making it a much more promising tool for probing molecular chirality. SFG from a chiral medium was first proposed in 1965, but had never been experimentally confirmed until this thesis work was performed. This thesis describes a set of experiments successfully demonstrating that chiral SFG responses from chiral monolayers and liquids are observable. It shows that, with tunable inputs, SFG can be used as a sensitive spectroscopic tool to probe chirality in both electronic and vibrational resonances of chiral molecules. The monolayer sensitivity is feasible in both cases. It also discusses the relevant theoretical models explaining the origin and the strength of the chiral signal in vibrational and electronic SFG spectroscopies

Investigation of the liquid crystal alignment layer: effect on electrical properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abderrahmen, Asma; Romdhane, Fayda Fekih; Gharbi, Abdelhafidh; Ouada, Hafedh Ben

2008-01-01

We investigate the electrical behavior of a symmetric liquid crystal (LC) cell: elecrode-silane-LC-silane-electrode. The silane (chlorodimethyloctadecyl-silane) layer induces a homeotropic orientation of the nematic liquid crystal (NLC) molecules. The wettability technique is used to detect the change of the surface energy of the electrode upon cleaning and silane layer deposition. We report on the dynamic impedance measurements of the nematic liquid crystal cell. It is found that the silane alignment layer has a blocking effect on the liquid crystal (LC) cell. We also study the relaxation behavior of the cell which is later assimilated as an electrical equivalent circuit

Investigation of the liquid crystal alignment layer: effect on electrical properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abderrahmen, Asma; Romdhane, Fayda Fekih; Gharbi, Abdelhafidh [Laboratoire de la matiere molle, Faculte des sciences, Tunis (Tunisia); Ouada, Hafedh Ben [Laboratoire de physique et chimie des interfaces, Faculte des sciences, 5000 Monastir (Tunisia)], E-mail: asma_abderrahmen@yahoo.fr

2008-04-01

We investigate the electrical behavior of a symmetric liquid crystal (LC) cell: elecrode-silane-LC-silane-electrode. The silane (chlorodimethyloctadecyl-silane) layer induces a homeotropic orientation of the nematic liquid crystal (NLC) molecules. The wettability technique is used to detect the change of the surface energy of the electrode upon cleaning and silane layer deposition. We report on the dynamic impedance measurements of the nematic liquid crystal cell. It is found that the silane alignment layer has a blocking effect on the liquid crystal (LC) cell. We also study the relaxation behavior of the cell which is later assimilated as an electrical equivalent circuit.

Slow-light enhanced optical detection in liquid-infiltrated photonic crystals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Martin Erland Vestergaard; Rishøj, Lars Søgaard; Steffensen, Henrik

2007-01-01

Slow-light enhanced optical detection in liquid-infiltrated photonic crystals is theoretically studied. Using a scattering-matrix approach and the Wigner–Smith delay time concept, we show that optical absorbance benefits both from slow-light phenomena as well as a high filling factor of the energy...... residing in the liquid. Utilizing strongly dispersive photonic crystal structures, we numerically demonstrate how liquid-infiltrated photonic crystals facilitate enhanced light–matter interactions, by potentially up to an order of magnitude. The proposed concept provides strong opportunities for improving...

Modification of the twist angle in chiral nematic polymer films by photoisomerization of the chiral dopant

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Witte, van de P.; Neuteboom, E.E.; Brehmer, M.; Lub, Johan

1999-01-01

A method for the production of polarization sensitive recordings in liquid crystalline polymers is presented. The system is based on local modification of the twist angle of chiral nematic polymer films. The twist angle of the polymer film is varied by modifying the chemical structure of the chiral

Synthesis of novel room temperature chiral ionic liquids: application as reaction media for the heck arylation of aza-endocyclic acrylates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pastre, Julio C.; Correia, Carlos R.D., E-mail: genisson@chimie.ups-tlse.f, E-mail: roque@iqm.unicamp.b [Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), SP (Brazil). Inst. de Quimica; Genisson, Yves [Universite Paul Sabatier, Toulouse (France). Lab. de Synthese et Physicochimie des Molecules d' Interet Biologique; Saffon, Nathalie [Universite Paul Sabatier, Toulouse (France). Structure federative toulousaine en chimie moleculaire (SFTCM); Dandurand, Jany [Universite Paul Sabatier, Toulouse (France). Lab. de Physique des Polymeres

2010-07-01

New achiral and chiral RTILs were prepared using novel and/or optimized synthetic routes. These new series of imidazolinium, imidazolium, pyridinium and nicotine-derived ionic liquids were fully characterized including differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. The performance of these achiral and chiral room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) was demonstrated by means of the Heck arylation of endocyclic acrylates employing arenediazonium salts and aryl iodides. The Heck arylations performed in the presence of these ionic entities, either as a solvent or as an additive, were effective leading to complete conversion of the substrate and good to excellent yield of the Heck adduct. In spite of the good performances, no asymmetric induction was observed in any of the cases studied. Two new diastereoisomeric NHC-palladium complexes were prepared in good yields from a chiral imidazolium salt and their structure characterized by X-ray diffraction. Overall, the Heck arylations employing arenediazonium tetrafluoroborates in RTILs were more effective than the traditional protocols employing aryl iodides in terms of reactivity and yields. (author)

Faraday rotation dispersion microscopy imaging of diamagnetic and chiral liquids with pulsed magnetic field.

Science.gov (United States)

Suwa, Masayori; Nakano, Yusuke; Tsukahara, Satoshi; Watarai, Hitoshi

2013-05-21

We have constructed an experimental setup for Faraday rotation dispersion imaging and demonstrated the performance of a novel imaging principle. By using a pulsed magnetic field and a polarized light synchronized to the magnetic field, quantitative Faraday rotation images of diamagnetic organic liquids in glass capillaries were observed. Nonaromatic hydrocarbons, benzene derivatives, and naphthalene derivatives were clearly distinguished by the Faraday rotation images due to the difference in Verdet constants. From the wavelength dispersion of the Faraday rotation images in the visible region, it was found that the resonance wavelength in the UV region, which was estimated based on the Faraday B-term, could be used as characteristic parameters for the imaging of the liquids. Furthermore, simultaneous acquisition of Faraday rotation image and natural optical rotation image was demonstrated for chiral organic liquids.

Liquid Crystal Microlenses for Autostereoscopic Displays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Francisco Algorri

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Three-dimensional vision has acquired great importance in the audiovisual industry in the past ten years. Despite this, the first generation of autostereoscopic displays failed to generate enough consumer excitement. Some reasons are little 3D content and performance issues. For this reason, an exponential increase in three-dimensional vision research has occurred in the last few years. In this review, a study of the historical impact of the most important technologies has been performed. This study is carried out in terms of research manuscripts per year. The results reveal that research on spatial multiplexing technique is increasing considerably and today is the most studied. For this reason, the state of the art of this technique is presented. The use of microlenses seems to be the most successful method to obtain autostereoscopic vision. When they are fabricated with liquid crystal materials, extended capabilities are produced. Among the numerous techniques for manufacturing liquid crystal microlenses, this review covers the most viable designs for its use in autostereoscopic displays. For this reason, some of the most important topologies and their relation with autostereoscopic displays are presented. Finally, the challenges in some recent applications, such as portable devices, and the future of three-dimensional displays based on liquid crystal microlenses are outlined.

Optical Study of Liquid Crystal Doped with Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube

Science.gov (United States)

Gharde, Rita A.; Thakare, Sangeeta Y.

2014-11-01

Liquid crystalline materials have been useful for display devices i.e watches, calculators, automobile dashboards, televisions, multi media projectors etc. as well as in electro tunable lasers, optical fibers and lenses. Carbon nanotube is chosen as the main experimental factor in this study as it has been observed that Carbon Nano Tube influence the existing properties of liquid crystal host and with the doping of CNT can enhance1 the properties of LC. The combination of carbon nanotube (CNT) and liquid crystal (LC) materials show considerable interest in the scientific community due to unique physical properties of CNT in liquid crystal. Dispersion of CNTs in LCs can provide us a cheap, simple, versatile and effective means of controlling nanotube orientation on macroscopic scale with no restrictions on nanotube type. LCs have the long range orientational order rendering them to be anisotropic phases. If CNTs can be well dispersed in LC matrix, they will align with their long axes along the LC director to minimize distortions of the LC director field and the free energy. In this paper, we doped liquid crystal (Cholesteryl Nonanoate) by a small amount of multiwall carbon nanotube 0.05% and 0.1% wt. We found that by adding carbon nanotube to liquid crystals the melting point of the mixture is decreased but TNI is increased. It has been also observed that with incereas in concentration of carbon nanotube into liquid crystal shows conciderable effect on LC. The prepared samples were characterized using various techniques to study structural, thermal and optical properties i.e PMS, FPSS, UV-Vis spectroscopy, FT-IR measurements, and DTA.

New developments in flexible cholesteric liquid crystal displays

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Tod; Davis, Donald J.; Franklin, Sean; Venkataraman, Nithya; McDaniel, Diaz; Nicholson, Forrest; Montbach, Erica; Khan, Asad; Doane, J. William

2007-02-01

Flexible Cholesteric liquid crystal displays have been rapidly maturing into a strong contender in the flexible display market. Encapsulation of the Cholesteric liquid crystal permits the use of flexible plastic substrates and roll-to-roll production. Recent advances include ultra-thin displays, laser-cut segmented displays of variable geometry, and smart card applications. Exciting technologies such as simultaneous laser-edge sealing and singulation enable high volume production, excellent quality control and non-traditional display geometries and formats.

Local layer structure of smectic liquid crystals by X-ray micro-diffraction

CERN Document Server

Takanishi, Y

2003-01-01

The local layer structure of smectic liquid crystal has been measured using time-resolved synchrotron X-ray micro-diffraction. Typical layer disorders observed in surface stabilized (anti-) ferroelectric liquid crystals, i.e. a stripe texture, a needed-like defect and a zigzag defect, are directly analyzed. The detailed analysis slows that the surface anchoring force due to the interaction between the liquid crystal molecule and the alignment thin film plays an important role to realize both the static and dynamic local layer structures. The layer structure of the circular domain observed in the liquid crystal of bent-shaped molecules found to depend on the applied electric field though the optical micrograph shows little difference. The frustrated, double and single layer structures of the bent-shaped molecule liquid crystal are determined depending on the terminal alkyl chain length. (author)

Passive Temperature Stabilization of Silicon Photonic Devices Using Liquid Crystals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joanna Ptasinski

2014-03-01

Full Text Available In this work we explore the negative thermo-optic properties of liquid crystal claddings for passive temperature stabilization of silicon photonic integrated circuits. Photonic circuits are playing an increasing role in communications and computing, but they suffer from temperature dependent performance variation. Most existing techniques aimed at compensation of thermal effects rely on power hungry Joule heating. We show that integrating a liquid crystal cladding helps to minimize the effects of a temperature dependent drift. The advantage of liquid crystals lies in their high negative thermo-optic coefficients in addition to low absorption at the infrared wavelengths.

Effect of temperature on the morphology and electro-optical properties of liquid crystal physical gel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leaw, W.L.; Mamat, C.R.; Triwahyono, S.; Jalil, A.A.; Bidin, N.

2016-01-01

Liquid crystal physical gels were (thermally) prepared with cholesteryl stearate as a gelator in nematic liquid crystal, 4-cyano-4′-pentylbiphenyl. The electro-optical performance of liquid crystal physical gels is almost entirely dependent on the gels' inherent morphology. This study involved an empirical investigation of the relationships among all of the gelation temperature, morphology, and electro-optical properties. Besides continuous cooling at room temperature, isothermal cooling was also performed at both 18 and 0 °C, corresponding to near-solid and solid phases of 4-cyano-4′-pentylbiphenyl respectively. Nevertheless, the liquid crystal physical gel was also isothermally rapidly cooled using liquid nitrogen. Polarizing optical microscopy showed that the gel structure became thinner when isothermal cooling was carried out. These thinner gel aggregates then interconnected to form larger liquid crystal domains. Moreover, it was also revealed that the gel networks were randomized. Electron spin resonance results showed that the liquid crystal director orientation was severely randomized in the presence of gel networks. Conversely, isothermal cooling using liquid nitrogen generated a higher liquid crystal director orientation order. The 6.0 wt% cholesteryl stearate/4-cyano-4′-pentylbiphenyl physical gel that was isothermally cooled using liquid nitrogen showed the lowest response time in a twisted nematic mode optical cell. - Graphical abstract: Liquid crystal physical gel was prepared using nematic liquid crystal, 4-cyano-4′-pentylbiphenyl and cholesteryl stearate as gelator. Isothermal cooling at lower temperature produced thinner gel network and larger liquid crystal domain. - Highlights: • 5CB nematic liquid crystal was successfully gelled by cholesteryl stearate gelator. • The morphology of gel network was controlled by different cooling conditions. • Thinner gel network was formed by the rapid cooling using liquid nitrogen. • Enhanced

Effect of temperature on the morphology and electro-optical properties of liquid crystal physical gel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leaw, W.L. [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, UTM Johor Bahru, Johor (Malaysia); Mamat, C.R., E-mail: che@kimia.fs.utm.my [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, UTM Johor Bahru, Johor (Malaysia); Triwahyono, S. [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, UTM Johor Bahru, Johor (Malaysia); Jalil, A.A. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, UTM Johor Bahru, Johor (Malaysia); Centre of Hydrogen Energy, Institute of Future Energy, Univerisiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, UTM Johor Bahru, Johor (Malaysia); Bidin, N. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, UTM Johor Bahru, Johor (Malaysia)

2016-12-01

Liquid crystal physical gels were (thermally) prepared with cholesteryl stearate as a gelator in nematic liquid crystal, 4-cyano-4′-pentylbiphenyl. The electro-optical performance of liquid crystal physical gels is almost entirely dependent on the gels' inherent morphology. This study involved an empirical investigation of the relationships among all of the gelation temperature, morphology, and electro-optical properties. Besides continuous cooling at room temperature, isothermal cooling was also performed at both 18 and 0 °C, corresponding to near-solid and solid phases of 4-cyano-4′-pentylbiphenyl respectively. Nevertheless, the liquid crystal physical gel was also isothermally rapidly cooled using liquid nitrogen. Polarizing optical microscopy showed that the gel structure became thinner when isothermal cooling was carried out. These thinner gel aggregates then interconnected to form larger liquid crystal domains. Moreover, it was also revealed that the gel networks were randomized. Electron spin resonance results showed that the liquid crystal director orientation was severely randomized in the presence of gel networks. Conversely, isothermal cooling using liquid nitrogen generated a higher liquid crystal director orientation order. The 6.0 wt% cholesteryl stearate/4-cyano-4′-pentylbiphenyl physical gel that was isothermally cooled using liquid nitrogen showed the lowest response time in a twisted nematic mode optical cell. - Graphical abstract: Liquid crystal physical gel was prepared using nematic liquid crystal, 4-cyano-4′-pentylbiphenyl and cholesteryl stearate as gelator. Isothermal cooling at lower temperature produced thinner gel network and larger liquid crystal domain. - Highlights: • 5CB nematic liquid crystal was successfully gelled by cholesteryl stearate gelator. • The morphology of gel network was controlled by different cooling conditions. • Thinner gel network was formed by the rapid cooling using liquid nitrogen. �

Liquid crystal television spatial light modulators

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Hua-Kuang; Chao, Tien-Hsin

1989-01-01

The spatial light modulation characteristics and capabilities of the liquid crystal television (LCTV) spatial light modulators (SLMs) are discussed. A comparison of Radio Shack, Epson, and Citizen LCTV SLMs is made.

Disappearing Enantiomorphs: Single Handedness in Racemate Crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Parschau, Manfred; Ernst, Karl-Heinz

2015-11-23

Although crystallization is the most important method for the separation of enantiomers of chiral molecules in the chemical industry, the chiral recognition involved in this process is poorly understood at the molecular level. We report on the initial steps in the formation of layered racemate crystals from a racemic mixture, as observed by STM at submolecular resolution. Grown on a copper single-crystal surface, the chiral hydrocarbon heptahelicene formed chiral racemic lattice structures within the first layer. In the second layer, enantiomerically pure domains were observed, underneath which the first layer contained exclusively the other enantiomer. Hence, the system changed from a 2D racemate into a 3D racemate with enantiomerically pure layers after exceeding monolayer-saturation coverage. A chiral bias in form of a small enantiomeric excess suppressed the crystallization of one double-layer enantiomorph so that the pure minor enantiomer crystallized only in the second layer. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Dirac and Chiral Quantum Spin Liquids on the Honeycomb Lattice in a Magnetic Field.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zheng-Xin; Normand, B

2018-05-04

Motivated by recent experimental observations in α-RuCl_{3}, we study the K-Γ model on the honeycomb lattice in an external magnetic field. By a slave-particle representation and variational Monte Carlo calculations, we reproduce the phase transition from zigzag magnetic order to a field-induced disordered phase. The nature of this state depends crucially on the field orientation. For particular field directions in the honeycomb plane, we find a gapless Dirac spin liquid, in agreement with recent experiments on α-RuCl_{3}. For a range of out-of-plane fields, we predict the existence of a Kalmeyer-Laughlin-type chiral spin liquid, which would show an integer-quantized thermal Hall effect.

Dirac and Chiral Quantum Spin Liquids on the Honeycomb Lattice in a Magnetic Field

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zheng-Xin; Normand, B.

2018-05-01

Motivated by recent experimental observations in α -RuCl3 , we study the K -Γ model on the honeycomb lattice in an external magnetic field. By a slave-particle representation and variational Monte Carlo calculations, we reproduce the phase transition from zigzag magnetic order to a field-induced disordered phase. The nature of this state depends crucially on the field orientation. For particular field directions in the honeycomb plane, we find a gapless Dirac spin liquid, in agreement with recent experiments on α -RuCl3 . For a range of out-of-plane fields, we predict the existence of a Kalmeyer-Laughlin-type chiral spin liquid, which would show an integer-quantized thermal Hall effect.

Probing molecular chirality by coherent optical absorption spectra

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jia, W. Z. [Quantum Optoelectronics Laboratory, School of Physics and Technology, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); Wei, L. F. [Quantum Optoelectronics Laboratory, School of Physics and Technology, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Physics and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China)

2011-11-15

We propose an approach to sensitively probe the chirality of molecules by measuring their coherent optical-absorption spectra. It is shown that quantum dynamics of the cyclic three-level chiral molecules driven by appropriately designed external fields is total-phase dependent. This will result in chirality-dependent absorption spectra for the probe field. As a consequence, the charality-dependent information in the spectra (such as the locations and relative heights of the characteristic absorption peaks) can be utilized to identify molecular chirality and determinate enantiomer excess (i.e., the percentages of different enantiomers). The feasibility of the proposal with chiral molecules confined in hollow-core photonic crystal fiber is also discussed.

Vitrification and Crystallization of Phase-Separated Metallic Liquid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yun Cheng

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS behavior of Fe50Cu50 melt from 3500 K to 300 K with different rapid quenching is investigated by molecular dynamics (MD simulation based on the embedded atom method (EAM. The liquid undergoes metastable phase separation by spinodal decomposition in the undercooled regime and subsequently solidifies into three different Fe-rich microstructures: the interconnected-type structure is kept in the glass and crystal at a higher cooling rate, while the Fe-rich droplets are found to crystalize at a lower cooling rate. During the crystallization process, only Fe-rich clusters can act as the solid nuclei. The twinning planes can be observed in the crystal and only the homogeneous atomic stacking shows mirror symmetry along the twinning boundary. Our present work provides atomic-scale understanding of LLPS melt during the cooling process.

Induction of Chirality in Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials: Chiral 2D MoS2 Nanostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Purcell-Milton, Finn; McKenna, Robert; Brennan, Lorcan J; Cullen, Conor P; Guillemeney, Lilian; Tepliakov, Nikita V; Baimuratov, Anvar S; Rukhlenko, Ivan D; Perova, Tatiana S; Duesberg, Georg S; Baranov, Alexander V; Fedorov, Anatoly V; Gun'ko, Yurii K

2018-02-27

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have been intensively investigated due to their interesting properties and range of potential applications. Although most research has focused on graphene, atomic layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and particularly MoS 2 have gathered much deserved attention recently. Here, we report the induction of chirality into 2D chiral nanomaterials by carrying out liquid exfoliation of MoS 2 in the presence of chiral ligands (cysteine and penicillamine) in water. This processing resulted in exfoliated chiral 2D MoS 2 nanosheets showing strong circular dichroism signals, which were far past the onset of the original chiral ligand signals. Using theoretical modeling, we demonstrated that the chiral nature of MoS 2 nanosheets is related to the presence of chiral ligands causing preferential folding of the MoS 2 sheets. There was an excellent match between the theoretically calculated and experimental spectra. We believe that, due to their high aspect ratio planar morphology, chiral 2D nanomaterials could offer great opportunities for the development of chiroptical sensors, materials, and devices for valleytronics and other potential applications. In addition, chirality plays a key role in many chemical and biological systems, with chiral molecules and materials critical for the further development of biopharmaceuticals and fine chemicals, and this research therefore should have a strong impact on relevant areas of science and technology such as nanobiotechnology, nanomedicine, and nanotoxicology.

Variational Approach in the Theory of Liquid-Crystal State

Science.gov (United States)

Gevorkyan, E. V.

2018-03-01

The variational calculus by Leonhard Euler is the basis for modern mathematics and theoretical physics. The efficiency of variational approach in statistical theory of liquid-crystal state and in general case in condensed state theory is shown. The developed approach in particular allows us to introduce correctly effective pair interactions and optimize the simple models of liquid crystals with help of realistic intermolecular potentials.

Smectic liquid crystals in anisotropic colloidal silica gels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liang, Dennis [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Borthwick, Matthew A [Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Leheny, Robert L [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)

2004-05-19

We report x-ray scattering studies of the smectic liquid crystal octylcyano-biphenol (8CB) confined by strained colloidal silica gels. The gels, comprised of aerosil particles, possess an anisotropic structure that stabilizes long-range nematic order in the liquid crystal while introducing random field effects that disrupt the smectic transition. The short-range smectic correlations that form within this environment are inconsistent with the presence of a topologically ordered state predicted for 3D random field XY systems and are quantitatively like the correlations of smectics confined by isotropic gels. Detailed analysis reveals that the quenched disorder suppresses the anisotropic scaling of the smectic correlation lengths observed in the pure liquid crystal. These results and additional measurements of the smectic-A to smectic-C transition in 4-n-pentylphenylthiol-4'-n-octyloxybenzoate (8barS5) indicate that the observed smectic behaviour is dictated by random fields coupling directly to the smectic order while fields coupling to the nematic director play a subordinate role.

Liquid filling of photonic crystal fibres for grating writing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Henrik Rokkjær; Canning, John; Lægsgaard, Jesper

2007-01-01

liquid filling of photonic crystal fibres reduces the scattering from air–glass interfaces during Bragg grating writing in many layered photonic crystal fibres. Within experimental uncertainty, the grating index modulation of a grating written in germanium-doped photonic crystal fibre with 10 rings...

Measurement of chirality of charge-density-waves in TiSe2 by using STM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishioka, J.; Liu, Y.H.; Shimatake, K.; Kurosawa, T.; Ichimura, K.; Toda, Y.; Oda, M.; Tanda, S.

2010-01-01

We report the chirality of charge density waves (CDW) in 1T-TiSe 2 by using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) measurements. We found that the CDW intensity becomes Ia 1 :Ia 2 :Ia 3 =1:0.7±0.1:0.5±0.1, where Ia i (i=1, 2, 3) is the amplitude of the tunneling current contributed by the CDWs. We found two states, in which the three intensity peaks of the CDW decrease clockwise and anticlockwise when we index each nesting vector in order of intensity in the Fourier transformation of the STM images. We found that this difference arises from CDW stacking along the c-axis at intervals of 2c 0 /3. This chirality is attributed to the helical stacking such as cholesteric liquid crystals.

Supramolecular Chirality: Solvent Chirality Transfer in Molecular Chemistry and Polymer Chemistry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michiya Fujiki

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Controlled mirror symmetry breaking arising from chemical and physical origin is currently one of the hottest issues in the field of supramolecular chirality. The dynamic twisting abilities of solvent molecules are often ignored and unknown, although the targeted molecules and polymers in a fluid solution are surrounded by solvent molecules. We should pay more attention to the facts that mostly all of the chemical and physical properties of these molecules and polymers in the ground and photoexcited states are significantly influenced by the surrounding solvent molecules with much conformational freedom through non-covalent supramolecular interactions between these substances and solvent molecules. This review highlights a series of studies that include: (i historical background, covering chiral NaClO3 crystallization in the presence of d-sugars in the late 19th century; (ii early solvent chirality effects for optically inactive chromophores/fluorophores in the 1960s–1980s; and (iii the recent development of mirror symmetry breaking from the corresponding achiral or optically inactive molecules and polymers with the help of molecular chirality as the solvent use quantity.

2D director calculation for liquid crystal optical phased array

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, L; Zhang, J; Wu, L Y

2005-01-01

A practical numerical model for a liquid crystal cell is set up based on the geometrical structure of liquid crystal optical phased arrays. Model parameters include width and space of electrodes, thickness of liquid crystal layer, alignment layers and glass substrates, pre-tilted angles, dielectric constants, elastic constants and so on. According to electrostatic field theory and Frank-Oseen elastic continuum theory, 2D electric potential distribution and 2D director distribution are calculated by means of the finite difference method on non-uniform grids. The influence of cell sizes on director distribution is analyzed. The fringe field effect between electrodes is also discussed

Liquid Crystal Gel Reduces Age Spots by Promoting Skin Turnover

OpenAIRE

Mina Musashi; Ariella Coler-Reilly; Teruaki Nagasawa; Yoshiki Kubota; Satomi Kato; Yoko Yamaguchi

2014-01-01

Studies have shown that liquid crystals structurally resembling the intercellular lipids in the stratum corneum can beneficially affect the skin when applied topically by stimulating the skin’s natural regenerative functions and accelerating epidermal turnover. In the present study, the effects of applying low concentrations of a liquid crystal gel of our own creation were evaluated using epidermal thickening in mouse skin as an assay for effective stimulation of epidermal turnover. A liquid ...

Creation of tunable absolute bandgaps in a two-dimensional anisotropic photonic crystal modulated by a nematic liquid crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Chenyang

2008-01-01

Photonic crystals (PCs) have many potential applications because of their ability to control light-wave propagation. We have investigated the tunable absolute bandgap in a two-dimensional anisotropic photonic crystal structures modulated by a nematic liquid crystal. The PC structure composed of an anisotropic-dielectric cylinder in the liquid crystal medium is studied by solving Maxwell's equations using the plane wave expansion method. The photonic band structures are found to exhibit absolute bandgaps for the square and triangular lattices. Numerical simulations show that the absolute bandgaps can be continuously tuned in the square and triangular lattices consisting of anisotropic-dielectric cylinders by infiltrating nematic liquid crystals. Such a mechanism of bandgap adjustment should open up a new application for designing components in photonic integrated circuits

Thermal Conductivity and Liquid Crystal Thermometers.

Science.gov (United States)

Edge, R. D., Ed.

1993-01-01

Describes using stock liquid crystal postcards as inexpensive classroom thermometers. Also suggests using these postcards as a good visual temperature indicator for classroom demonstrations such as temperature gradients. One such activity is provided. (MVL)

Chirality in distorted square planar Pd(O,N)2 compounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Brunner, Henri; Bodensteiner, Michael; Tsuno, Takashi

2013-10-01

Salicylidenimine palladium(II) complexes trans-Pd(O,N)2 adopt step and bowl arrangements. A stereochemical analysis subdivides 52 compounds into 41 step and 11 bowl types. Step complexes with chiral N-substituents and all the bowl complexes induce chiral distortions in the square planar system, resulting in Δ/Λ configuration of the Pd(O,N)2 unit. In complexes with enantiomerically pure N-substituents ligand chirality entails a specific square chirality and only one diastereomer assembles in the lattice. Dimeric Pd(O,N)2 complexes with bridging N-substituents in trans-arrangement are inherently chiral. For dimers different chirality patterns for the Pd(O,N)2 square are observed. The crystals contain racemates of enantiomers. In complex two independent molecules form a tight pair. The (RC) configuration of the ligand induces the same Δ chirality in the Pd(O,N)2 units of both molecules with varying square chirality due to the different crystallographic location of the independent molecules. In complexes and atrop isomerism induces specific configurations in the Pd(O,N)2 bowl systems. The square chirality is largest for complex [(Diop)Rh(PPh3 )Cl)], a catalyst for enantioselective hydrogenation. In the lattice of two diastereomers with the same (RC ,RC) configuration in the ligand Diop but opposite Δ and Λ square configurations co-crystallize, a rare phenomenon in stereochemistry. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Asymmetric aza-Diels-Alder reaction of Danishefsky's diene with imines in a chiral reaction medium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pégot Bruce

2006-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract The asymmetric aza-Diels-Alder reaction of chiral imines with Danishefsky's diene in chiral ionic liquids provides the corresponding cycloadduct with moderate to high diastereoselectivity. The reaction has proved to perform better at room temperature in ionic liquids without either Lewis acid catalyst or organic solvent. Chiral ionic liquids are recycled while their efficiency is preserved.

Precipitation of thin-film organic single crystals by a novel crystal growth method using electrospray and ionic liquid film

Science.gov (United States)

Ueda, Hiroyuki; Takeuchi, Keita; Kikuchi, Akihiko

2018-04-01

We report an organic single crystal growth technique, which uses a nonvolatile liquid thin film as a crystal growth field and supplies fine droplets containing solute from the surface of the liquid thin film uniformly and continuously by electrospray deposition. Here, we investigated the relationships between the solute concentration of the supplied solution and the morphology and size of precipitated crystals for four types of fluorescent organic low molecule material [tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (Alq3), 2-(4-biphenylyl)-5-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (PBD), N,N‧-bis(3-methylphenyl)-N,N‧-diphenylbenzidine (TPD), and N,N-bis(naphthalene-1-yl)-N,N-diphenyl-benzidine (NPB)] using an ionic liquid as the nonvolatile liquid. As the concentration of the supplied solution decreased, the morphology of precipitated crystals changed from dendritic or leaf shape to platelike one. At the solution concentration of 0.1 mg/ml, relatively large platelike single crystals with a diagonal length of over 100 µm were obtained for all types of material. In the experiment using ionic liquid and dioctyl sebacate as nonvolatile liquids, it was confirmed that there is a clear positive correlation between the maximum volume of the precipitated single crystal and the solubility of solute under the same solution supply conditions.

Study on the determination and chiral inversion of R-salbutamol in human plasma and urine by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Ting; Zeng, Jing; Liu, Shan; Zhao, Ting; Wu, Jie; Lai, Wenshi; He, Mingzhi; Xu, Beining; Qu, Shanshan; Xu, Ling; Tan, Wen

2015-10-01

The chiral inversion has been a concerned issue during the research and development of a chiral drug. In this study, a sensitive chiral liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed for determination of salbutamol enantiomers in human plasma and urine. The chiral inversion mechanism of R-salbutamol was fully investigated for the first time by studying the effects of physicochemical factors, including pH, temperature and time. A fitted model to predict the chiral inversion ratio of R-salbutamol was proposed using a Box-Behnken design. All the samples were separated on an Astec Chirobiotic T column and detected by a tandem mass spectrometer in multiple reaction monitoring mode. Lower limit of quantification of 0.100ng/mL was achieved under the optimized conditions. The method was fully validated and successfully applied to the clinical pharmacokinetic study of R-salbutamol in healthy volunteers. Chiral inversion of R-salbutamol to S-salbutamol has been detected in urine samples. The results indicated that pH and temperature were two dominant factors that caused the chiral inversion of R-salbutamol, which should be taken into consideration during the analysis of chiral drugs. The chiral inversion of R-salbutamol determined in this study was confirmed resulted from the gastric acid in stomach rather than caused by the analysis conditions. Moreover, the calculated results of the fitted model matched very well with the enantioselective pharmacokinetic study of R-salbutamol, and the individual difference of the chiral inversion ratio of R-salbutamol was related to the individual gastric environment. On the basis of the results, this study provides important and concrete information not only for the chiral analysis but also for the metabolism research of chiral drugs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Crystal-liquid-gas phase transitions and thermodynamic similarity

CERN Document Server

Skripov, Vladimir P; Schmelzer, Jurn W P

2006-01-01

Professor Skripov obtained worldwide recognition with his monograph ""Metastable liquids"", published in English by Wiley & Sons. Based upon this work and another monograph published only in Russia, this book investigates the behavior of melting line and the properties of the coexisting crystal and liquid phase of simple substances across a wide range of pressures, including metastable states of the coexisting phases. The authors derive new relations for the thermodynamic similarity for liquid-vapour phase transition, as well as describing solid-liquid, liquid-vapor and liquid-liquid phase tra

Dichroic dye-dependent studies in guest-host polymer-dispersed liquid crystal films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malik, Praveen, E-mail: pmalik100@yahoo.co [Department of Physics, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar 144011, Punjab (India); Raina, K.K. [Liquid Crystal Group, Materials Research Laboratory, School of Physics and Materials Science, Thapar University, Patiala 147004, Punjab (India)

2010-01-01

Guest-host polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (GHPDLC) films were prepared using a nematic liquid crystal, photo-curable polymer and dichroic dye (anthraquinone blue) by polymerization-induced phase separation (PIPS) technique. Non-ionic dichroic dye (1%, 2% and 4% wt./wt. ratio) was taken as guest in PDLC host. Polarizing microscopy shows that in the absence of electric field, liquid crystal (LC) droplets in polymer matrix mainly exhibit bipolar configuration, however, relatively at higher field, maltese-type crosses were observed. Our results show that approx1% dye-doped PDLC film shows better transmission and faster response times over pure polymer-dispersed nematic liquid crystal (PDNLC) and higher concentrated (2% and 4%) GHPDLC films.

Dichroic dye-dependent studies in guest-host polymer-dispersed liquid crystal films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malik, Praveen; Raina, K.K.

2010-01-01

Guest-host polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (GHPDLC) films were prepared using a nematic liquid crystal, photo-curable polymer and dichroic dye (anthraquinone blue) by polymerization-induced phase separation (PIPS) technique. Non-ionic dichroic dye (1%, 2% and 4% wt./wt. ratio) was taken as guest in PDLC host. Polarizing microscopy shows that in the absence of electric field, liquid crystal (LC) droplets in polymer matrix mainly exhibit bipolar configuration, however, relatively at higher field, maltese-type crosses were observed. Our results show that ∼1% dye-doped PDLC film shows better transmission and faster response times over pure polymer-dispersed nematic liquid crystal (PDNLC) and higher concentrated (2% and 4%) GHPDLC films.

IR Sensor Synchronizing Active Shutter Glasses for 3D HDTV with Flexible Liquid Crystal Lenses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeong In Han

2013-12-01

Full Text Available IR sensor synchronizing active shutter glasses for three-dimensional high definition television (3D HDTV were developed using a flexible liquid crystal (FLC lens. The FLC lens was made on a polycarbonate (PC substrate using conventional liquid crystal display (LCD processes. The flexible liquid crystal lens displayed a maximum transmission of 32% and total response time of 2.56 ms. The transmittance, the contrast ratio and the response time of the flexible liquid crystal lens were superior to those of glass liquid crystal lenses. Microcontroller unit and drivers were developed as part of a reception module with power supply for the IR sensor synchronizing active shutter glasses with the flexible liquid crystal lens prototypes. IR sensor synchronizing active shutter glasses for 3D HDTV with flexible liquid crystal lenses produced excellent 3D images viewing characteristics.

The liquid protein phase in crystallization: a case study—intact immunoglobulins

Science.gov (United States)

Kuznetsov, Yurii G.; Malkin, Alexander J.; McPherson, Alexander

2001-11-01

A common observation by protein chemists has been the appearance, for many proteins in aqueous solutions, of oil like droplets, or in more extreme cases the formation of a second oil like phase. These may accompany the formation of precipitate in "salting out" or "salting in' procedures, but more commonly appear in place of any precipitate. Such phase separations also occur, with even greater frequency, in the presence of polymeric precipitants such as polyethyleneglycol (PEG). In general the appearance of a second liquid phase has been taken as indicative of protein aggregation, though an aggregate state distinctly different from that characteristic of amorphous precipitate. While the latter is thought to be composed of linear and branched assemblies, polymers of a sort, the oil phase suggests a more compact, three-dimensional, but fluid state. An important property of an alternate, fluid phase is that it can mediate transitions between other states, for example, between protein molecules free in solution and protein molecules immobilized in amorphous precipitate or crystals. The "liquid protein" phase can be readily observed in many crystallization experiments either prior to the appearance of visible crystals, or directly participating in the crystal growth process. In some cases the relationship between the liquid phase and developing crystals is intimate. Crystals grow directly from the liquid phase, or appear only after the visible formation of the liquid phase. We describe here our experience with a class of macromolecules, immunoglobulins, and particularly IDEC-151, an IgG specific for CD4 on human lymphocytes. This protein has been crystallized from a Jeffamine-LiSO 4 mother liquor and, its crystallization illustrates many of the features associated with the liquid protein, or protein rich phase.

Fases estacionárias quirais para cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência Chiral stationary phases for high-performance liquid chromatography

OpenAIRE

Tiago de Campos Lourenço; Neila Maria Cassiano; Quezia B. Cass

2010-01-01

The development of Chiral Stationary Phases (CSPs) for high performance liquid chromatography has been studied by various researches around the world, especially, since 1980. This simple interest has been transformed into a tool of great technological value for the industrial community and scholars in general providing the existence of several CSPs, which act through different mechanisms of chiral discrimination. This paper describes the main types of CSPs that are used for the resolution of ...

Optimized Wavelength-Tuned Nonlinear Frequency Conversion Using a Liquid Crystal Clad Waveguide

Science.gov (United States)

Stephen, Mark A. (Inventor)

2018-01-01

An optimized wavelength-tuned nonlinear frequency conversion process using a liquid crystal clad waveguide. The process includes implanting ions on a top surface of a lithium niobate crystal to form an ion implanted lithium niobate layer. The process also includes utilizing a tunable refractive index of a liquid crystal to rapidly change an effective index of the lithium niobate crystal.

Resolution of D- and L-glucoses by chiral N-octyl-beta-D-glycoside-Cu(II) complex adsorbed at the gas/liquid interface of small bubbles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sakai, M.; Miyazawa, K.; Jitsumatsu, H.; Kamio, K.; Mitsuiki, S.; Toh, N.; Sugihara, G.; Norde, W.

2010-01-01

A new technique of the jet drop method (JDM) was applied to a chiral molecular discrimination of optically active D- or L-glucose (guest) by chiral N-octyl-beta-D-glycoside (O beta DG)-Cu(II) complex (host) at the gas/liquid interface of small bubbles. The discrimination of glucoses as the guests is

A dark hollow beam from a selectively liquid-filled photonic crystal fibre

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mei-Yan, Zhang; Shu-Guang, Li; Yan-Yan, Yao; Bo, Fu; Lei, Zhang

2010-01-01

This paper reports that, based on the electromagnetic scattering theory of the multipole method, a high-quality hollow beam is produced through a selectively liquid-filled photonic crystal fibre. Instead of a doughnut shape, a typical hollow beam is produced by other methods; the mode-field images of the hollow-beam photonic crystal fibre satisfy sixth-order rotation symmetry, according to the symmetry of the photonic crystal fibre (PCF) structure. A dark spot size of the liquid-filled photonic crystal fibre-generated hollow beam can be tuned by inserting liquid into the cladding region and varying the photonic crystal fibre structure parameters. The liquid-filled PCF makes a convenient and flexible tool for the guiding and trapping of atoms and the creation of all-fibre optical tweezers. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

Liquid Crystal Gel Reduces Age Spots by Promoting Skin Turnover

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mina Musashi

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Studies have shown that liquid crystals structurally resembling the intercellular lipids in the stratum corneum can beneficially affect the skin when applied topically by stimulating the skin’s natural regenerative functions and accelerating epidermal turnover. In the present study, the effects of applying low concentrations of a liquid crystal gel of our own creation were evaluated using epidermal thickening in mouse skin as an assay for effective stimulation of epidermal turnover. A liquid crystal gel was also applied topically to human facial skin, and analysis was conducted using before-and-after photographs of age spots, measurements of L* values that reflect degree of skin pigmentation, single-layer samples of the stratum corneum obtained via tape-stripping, and measurements of trans-epidermal water loss that reflect the status of the skin’s barrier function. The results suggested that cost-effective creams containing as low as 5% liquid crystal gel might be effective and safely sold as skin care products targeting age spots and other problems relating to uneven skin pigmentation.

A Novel Two-Step Liquid-Liquid Extraction Procedure Combined with Stationary Phase Immobilized Human Serum Albumin for the Chiral Separation of Cetirizine Enantiomers along with M and P Parabens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksandra Chmielewska

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The research into the separation of drug enantiomers is closely related to the safety and efficiency of the drugs. The aim of this study was to develop a simple and validated HPLC method to analyze cetirizine enantiomers. In the case of liquid dosage forms, besides the active substance in large amounts there are usually also inactive ingredients such as methyl- and propylparaben. Unfortunately, these compounds can interfere with the analyte, inter alia during chiral separation of the analyte enantiomers. The proposed innovative two-step liquid-liquid extraction procedure allowed for the determination of cetirizine enantiomers (along with M and P parabens also in liquid dosage forms. The main focus of this study was the chromatographic activity of cetirizine dihydrochloride on the proteinate-based chiral stationary phase. The chromatographic separation of cetirizine enantiomers was performed on an immobilized human serum albumin (HSA column for the first time. Measurements were performed at a wavelength of 227 nm. Under optimal conditions, baseline separation of two enantiomers was obtained with 1.43 enantioseparation factor (α and 1.82 resolution (Rs. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied to the selected pharmaceutical formulations.

Liquid-Crystal Thermosets, a New Generation of High-Performance Liquid-Crystal Polymers

Science.gov (United States)

Dingemans, Theo; Weiser, Erik; Hou, Tan; Jensen, Brian; St. Clair, Terry

2004-01-01

One of the major challenges for NASA's next-generation reusable-launch-vehicle (RLV) program is the design of a cryogenic lightweight composite fuel tank. Potential matrix resin systems need to exhibit a low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), good mechanical strength, and excellent barrier properties at cryogenic temperatures under load. In addition, the resin system needs to be processable by a variety of non-autoclavable techniques, such as vacuum-bag curing, resin-transfer molding (RTM), vacuum-assisted resin-transfer molding (VaRTM), resin-film infusion (RFI), pultrusion, and advanced tow placement (ATP). To meet these requirements, the Advanced Materials and Processing Branch (AMPB) at NASA Langley Research Center developed a new family of wholly aromatic liquid-crystal oligomers that can be processed and thermally cross-linked while maintaining their liquid-crystal order. All the monomers were polymerized in the presence of a cross-linkable unit by use of an environmentally benign melt-condensation technique. This method does not require hazardous solvents, and the only side product is acetic acid. The final product can be obtained as a powder or granulate and has an infinite shelf life. The obtained oligomers melt into a nematic phase and do not exhibit isotropization temperatures greater than the temperatures of decomposition (Ti > T(sub dec)). Three aromatic formulations were designed and tested and included esters, ester-amides, and ester-imides. One of the major advantages of this invention, named LaRC-LCR or Langley Research Center-Liquid Crystal Resin, is the ability to control a variety of resin characteristics, such as melting temperature, viscosity, and the cross-link density of the final part. Depending on the formulation, oligomers can be prepared with melt viscosities in the range of 10-10,000 poise (100 rad/s), which can easily be melt-processed using a variety of composite-processing techniques. This capability provides NASA with custom

Thin aligned organic polymer films for liquid crystal devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foster, Kathryn Ellen

1997-01-01

This project was designed to investigate the possibility of producing alignment layers for liquid crystal devices by cross-linking thin films containing anisotropic polymer bound chromophores via irradiation with polarised ultraviolet light. Photocross-linkable polymers find use in microelectronics, liquid crystal displays, printing and UV curable lacquers and inks; so there is an increasing incentive for the development of new varieties of photopolymers in general. The synthesis and characterisation of two new photopolymers that are suitable as potential alignment layers for liquid crystal devices are reported in this thesis. The first polymer contains the anthracene chromophore attached via a spacer unit to a methacrylate backbone and the second used a similarly attached aryl azide group. Copolymers of the new monomers with methyl methacrylate were investigated to establish reactivity ratios in order to understand composition drift during polymerisation. (author)

Chiral Topological Orders in an Optical Raman Lattice (Open Source)

Science.gov (United States)

2016-03-01

PAPER • OPEN ACCESS Chiral topological orders in an optical Raman lattice To cite this article: Xiong-Jun Liu et al 2016 New J. Phys. 18...... chiral spin liquid Abstract Wefind an optical Raman lattice without spin-orbit coupling showing chiral topological orders for cold atoms. Two

Using chiral ionic liquid additives to enhance asymmetric induction in a Diels-Alder reaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Goodrich, P; Nimal Gunaratne, H Q; Hall, L; Wang, Y; Jin, L; Muldoon, M J; Ribeiro, A P C; Pombeiro, A J L; Pârvulescu, V I; Davey, P; Hardacre, C

2017-01-31

A bis-oxazoline ligand has been complexed using Cu(ii) and Zn(ii) trifluoromethanesulfonate and a range of chiral ionic liquid (CIL) additives based on natural products were used as a co-catalyst for a Diels-Alder reaction. The catalytic performance of these systems was compared for the asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction between N-acryloyloxazolidinone and cyclopentadiene with and without the presence of a CIL additive. In the absence of the CIL, both catalysts resulted in low enantioselectivities in conventional solvents and ionic liquids. However, whilst only a minor effect of the CIL was observed for the Cu based catalyst, in the case of the Zn based catalyst, significant enhancements in endo enantioselectivity of up to 50% were found on the addition of a CIL.

Spectroscopic investigation of the far-infrared properties of liquid crystals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reuter, M.; Vieweg, N.; Fischer, B. M.

2013-01-01

Liquid crystals are one of the most promising base materials for switchable devices at THz frequencies. Therefore, a precise understanding of the optical parameters is crucial. Here, we present the refractive indices and absorption coefficients for 5 CB and an isothiocyanate terminated liquid...... crystal over a broad frequency range from 0.3 THz to 15 THz....

Application of cyanuric chloride-based six new chiral derivatizing reagents having amino acids and amino acid amides as chiral auxiliaries for enantioresolution of proteinogenic amino acids by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhushan, Ravi; Dixit, Shuchi

2012-04-01

Six dichloro-s-triazine (DCT) reagents having L-Leu, D-Phg, L-Val, L-Met, L-Ala and L-Met-NH(2) as chiral auxiliaries in cyanuric chloride were introduced for enantioseparation of 13 proteinogenic amino acids. Four other DCTs and six monochloro-s-triazine (MCT) reagents having amino acid amides as chiral auxiliaries were also synthesized. These 16 chiral derivatizing reagents (CDRs) were used for synthesis of diastereomers of all the 13 analytes using microwave irradiation, which were resolved by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) using C18 column and gradient eluting mixture of aqueous TFA and acetonitrile with UV detection at 230 nm. It required only 60-90 s for derivatization using microwave irradiation. Better resolution and lower retention times were observed for the diastereomers prepared with CDRs having amino acids as chiral auxiliaries as compared to counterparts prepared with reagents having amino acid amides as chiral auxiliaries. As the best resolution of all the 13 analytes was observed for their diastereomers prepared using the DCT reagent having L-Leu as chiral auxiliary, this CDR was further employed for derivatization of Lys, Tyr, His and Arg followed by RP-HPLC analysis of resulting diastereomers. The results are discussed in light of acid and amide groups of chiral auxiliaries constituting CDRs, electronegativities of the atoms of achiral moieties constituting CDRs and hydrophobicities of side chains of amino acids constituting CDRs and analytes.

Generation of Supramolecular Chirality around Twofold Rotational or Helical Axes in Crystalline Assemblies of Achiral Components

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mikiji Miyata

2015-10-01

Full Text Available A multi-point approximation method clarifies supramolecular chirality of twofold rotational or helical assemblies as well as bundles of the one-dimensional (1D assemblies. While one-point approximation of materials claims no chirality generation of such assemblies, multi-point approximations do claim possible generation in the 1D assemblies of bars and plates. Such chirality derives from deformations toward three-axial directions around the helical axes. The chiral columns are bundled in chiral ways through symmetry operations. The preferable right- or left-handed columns are bundled together to yield chiral crystals with right- or left-handedness, respectively, indicating that twofold helix symmetry operations cause chiral crystals composed of achiral components via a three-stepwise and three-directional process.

Do protein crystals nucleate within dense liquid clusters?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maes, Dominique; Vorontsova, Maria A.; Potenza, Marco A. C.; Sanvito, Tiziano; Sleutel, Mike; Giglio, Marzio; Vekilov, Peter G.

2015-01-01

The evolution of protein-rich clusters and nucleating crystals were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), confocal depolarized dynamic light scattering (cDDLS) and depolarized oblique illumination dark-field microscopy. Newly nucleated crystals within protein-rich clusters were detected directly. These observations indicate that the protein-rich clusters are locations for crystal nucleation. Protein-dense liquid clusters are regions of high protein concentration that have been observed in solutions of several proteins. The typical cluster size varies from several tens to several hundreds of nanometres and their volume fraction remains below 10 −3 of the solution. According to the two-step mechanism of nucleation, the protein-rich clusters serve as locations for and precursors to the nucleation of protein crystals. While the two-step mechanism explained several unusual features of protein crystal nucleation kinetics, a direct observation of its validity for protein crystals has been lacking. Here, two independent observations of crystal nucleation with the proteins lysozyme and glucose isomerase are discussed. Firstly, the evolutions of the protein-rich clusters and nucleating crystals were characterized simultaneously by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and confocal depolarized dynamic light scattering (cDDLS), respectively. It is demonstrated that protein crystals appear following a significant delay after cluster formation. The cDDLS correlation functions follow a Gaussian decay, indicative of nondiffusive motion. A possible explanation is that the crystals are contained inside large clusters and are driven by the elasticity of the cluster surface. Secondly, depolarized oblique illumination dark-field microscopy reveals the evolution from liquid clusters without crystals to newly nucleated crystals contained in the clusters to grown crystals freely diffusing in the solution. Collectively, the observations indicate that the protein-rich clusters in

Determination of chiral pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs in wastewater and sludge using microwave assisted extraction, solid-phase extraction and chiral liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Sian E; Davies, Paul; Lubben, Anneke; Kasprzyk-Hordern, Barbara

2015-07-02

This is the first study presenting a multi-residue method allowing for comprehensive analysis of several chiral pharmacologically active compounds (cPACs) including beta-blockers, antidepressants and amphetamines in wastewater and digested sludge at the enantiomeric level. Analysis of both the liquid and solid matrices within wastewater treatment is crucial to being able to carry out mass balance within these systems. The method developed comprises filtration, microwave assisted extraction and solid phase extraction followed by chiral liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry to analyse the enantiomers of 18 compounds within all three matrices. The method was successfully validated for 10 compounds within all three matrices (amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDMA, MDA, venlafaxine, desmethylvenlafaxine, citalopram, metoprolol, propranolol and sotalol), 7 compounds validated for the liquid matrices only (mirtazapine, salbutamol, fluoxetine, desmethylcitalopram, atenolol, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine) and 1 compound (alprenolol) passing the criteria for solid samples only. The method was then applied to wastewater samples; cPACs were found at concentration ranges in liquid matrices of: 1.7 ng L(-1) (metoprolol) - 1321 ng L(-1) (tramadol) in influent, liquid and solid matrices. This demonstrates that not analysing the solid fraction of wastewater may lead to over-estimation of the removal rates of cPACs as well as possible misrepresentation of the enantiomeric fraction of the compounds as they leave the wastewater treatment plant. Consequently risks from cPACs entering the environment might be higher than

Time-resolved crystallization of deeply cooled liquid hydrogen isotopes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuehnel, Matthias

2014-02-15

This thesis serves two main purposes: 1. The introduction of a novel experimental method to investigate phase change dynamics of supercooled liquids 2. First-time measurements for the crystallization behaviour for hydrogen isotopes under various conditions (1) The new method is established by the synergy of a liquid microjet of ∼ 5 μm diameter and a scattering technique with high spatial resolution, here linear Raman spectroscopy. Due to the high directional stability and the known velocity of the liquid filament, its traveling axis corresponds to a time axis static in space. Utilizing evaporative cooling in a vacuum environment, the propagating liquid cools down rapidly and eventually experiences a phase transition to the crystalline state. This temporal evolution is probed along the filament axis, ultimately resulting in a time resolution of 10 ns. The feasibility of this approach is proven successfully within the following experiments. (2) A main object of study are para-hydrogen liquid filaments. Raman spectra reveal a temperature gradient of the liquid across the filament. This behaviour can quantitatively be reconstructed by numerical simulations using a layered model and is rooted in the effectiveness of evaporative cooling on the surface and a finite thermal conductivity. The deepest supercoolings achieved are ∼ 30% below the melting point, at which the filament starts to solidify from the surface towards the core. With a crystal growth velocity extracted from the data the appropriate growth mechanism is identified. The crystal structure that initially forms is metastable and probably the result of Ostwald's rule of stages. Indications for a transition within the solid towards the stable equilibrium phase support this interpretation. The analog isotope ortho-deuterium is evidenced to behave qualitatively similar with quantitative differences being mass related. In further measurements, isotopic mixtures of para-hydrogen and ortho-deuterium are

Time-resolved crystallization of deeply cooled liquid hydrogen isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuehnel, Matthias

2014-02-01

This thesis serves two main purposes: 1. The introduction of a novel experimental method to investigate phase change dynamics of supercooled liquids 2. First-time measurements for the crystallization behaviour for hydrogen isotopes under various conditions (1) The new method is established by the synergy of a liquid microjet of ∼ 5 μm diameter and a scattering technique with high spatial resolution, here linear Raman spectroscopy. Due to the high directional stability and the known velocity of the liquid filament, its traveling axis corresponds to a time axis static in space. Utilizing evaporative cooling in a vacuum environment, the propagating liquid cools down rapidly and eventually experiences a phase transition to the crystalline state. This temporal evolution is probed along the filament axis, ultimately resulting in a time resolution of 10 ns. The feasibility of this approach is proven successfully within the following experiments. (2) A main object of study are para-hydrogen liquid filaments. Raman spectra reveal a temperature gradient of the liquid across the filament. This behaviour can quantitatively be reconstructed by numerical simulations using a layered model and is rooted in the effectiveness of evaporative cooling on the surface and a finite thermal conductivity. The deepest supercoolings achieved are ∼ 30% below the melting point, at which the filament starts to solidify from the surface towards the core. With a crystal growth velocity extracted from the data the appropriate growth mechanism is identified. The crystal structure that initially forms is metastable and probably the result of Ostwald's rule of stages. Indications for a transition within the solid towards the stable equilibrium phase support this interpretation. The analog isotope ortho-deuterium is evidenced to behave qualitatively similar with quantitative differences being mass related. In further measurements, isotopic mixtures of para-hydrogen and ortho-deuterium are

Time-resolved crystallization of deeply cooled liquid hydrogen isotopes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuehnel, Matthias

2014-02-15

This thesis serves two main purposes: 1. The introduction of a novel experimental method to investigate phase change dynamics of supercooled liquids 2. First-time measurements for the crystallization behaviour for hydrogen isotopes under various conditions (1) The new method is established by the synergy of a liquid microjet of ∼ 5 μm diameter and a scattering technique with high spatial resolution, here linear Raman spectroscopy. Due to the high directional stability and the known velocity of the liquid filament, its traveling axis corresponds to a time axis static in space. Utilizing evaporative cooling in a vacuum environment, the propagating liquid cools down rapidly and eventually experiences a phase transition to the crystalline state. This temporal evolution is probed along the filament axis, ultimately resulting in a time resolution of 10 ns. The feasibility of this approach is proven successfully within the following experiments. (2) A main object of study are para-hydrogen liquid filaments. Raman spectra reveal a temperature gradient of the liquid across the filament. This behaviour can quantitatively be reconstructed by numerical simulations using a layered model and is rooted in the effectiveness of evaporative cooling on the surface and a finite thermal conductivity. The deepest supercoolings achieved are ∼ 30% below the melting point, at which the filament starts to solidify from the surface towards the core. With a crystal growth velocity extracted from the data the appropriate growth mechanism is identified. The crystal structure that initially forms is metastable and probably the result of Ostwald's rule of stages. Indications for a transition within the solid towards the stable equilibrium phase support this interpretation. The analog isotope ortho-deuterium is evidenced to behave qualitatively similar with quantitative differences being mass related. In further measurements, isotopic mixtures of para-hydrogen and ortho-deuterium are

Simultaneous achiral-chiral analysis of pharmaceutical compounds using two-dimensional reversed phase liquid chromatography-supercritical fluid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Venkatramani, C J; Al-Sayah, Mohammad; Li, Guannan; Goel, Meenakshi; Girotti, James; Zang, Lisa; Wigman, Larry; Yehl, Peter; Chetwyn, Nik

2016-02-01

A new interface was designed to enable the coupling of reversed phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) and supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). This online two-dimensional chromatographic system utilizing RPLC in the first dimension and SFC in the second was developed to achieve simultaneous achiral and chiral analysis of pharmaceutical compounds. The interface consists of an eight-port, dual-position switching valve with small volume C-18 trapping columns. The peaks of interest eluting from the first RPLC dimension column were effectively focused as sharp concentration pulses on small volume C-18 trapping column/s and then injected onto the second dimension SFC column. The first dimension RPLC separation provides the achiral purity result, and the second dimension SFC separation provides the chiral purity result (enantiomeric excess). The results are quantitative enabling simultaneous achiral, chiral analysis of compounds. The interface design and proof of concept demonstration are presented. Additionally, comparative studies to conventional SFC and case studies of the applications of 2D LC-SFC in pharmaceutical analysis is presented. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Old and new ideas in ferroelectric liquid crystal technology

Science.gov (United States)

Lagerwall, Sven T.; Matuszczyk, M.; Matuszczyk, T.

1998-02-01

Ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLC) are to conventional liquid crystal what Gallium Arsenide is to Silicon in the semiconductor area. The first generation of FLC displays in now present on the market and has some outstanding features based on the symmetric bistability which may be achieved in these materials. One of the greatest challenges for the next generation is to achieve an analog grey scale out of an essentially digital principle. We will analyze in some detail which major problems had to be solved to reach the present state and show how the final steps could be taken toward a new state-of-the-art level in liquid crystal devices. In the last decade university research and industrial R and D have almost equally contributed to treat the very serious complications caused by the so-called chevron structures We will review this important topic in particular detail.

Ion Density Analysis of Single-Stranded DNA in Liquid Crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Iwabata, Kazuki; Seki, Yasutaka; Toizumi, Ryota; Shimada, Yuki; Furue, Hirokazu; Sakaguchi, Kengo

2013-09-01

With the widespread use of liquid crystals (LCs) in liquid crystal displays, we have looked into the application of liquid crystals in biotechnology. The purpose of the study described here is to investigate the physical properties of DNA using LCs. Synthetic oligonucleotide molecules were dispersed in MLC6884, the sample injected into antiparallel cells, and the amount of mobile ions was measured. The LC cell doped with oligonucleotide molecules showed a sequence-dependent, specific correlation between oligonucleotide concentration and the amount of mobile ions in the LC cells. In the framework of the Stokes model and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) analysis, we speculate that this result arises from the difference in ion mobility, which is caused by the shape of the oligonucleotide molecule in the LC.

Coupled Chiral Structure in Graphene-Based Film for Ultrahigh Thermal Conductivity in Both In-Plane and Through-Plane Directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Xin; Pan, Hui; Zhu, Chengling; Chen, Zhixin; Lu, Tao; Xu, Da; Li, Yao; Zhu, Shenmin

2018-06-21

The development of high-performance thermal management materials to dissipate excessive heat both in plane and through plane is of special interest to maintain efficient operation and prolong the life of electronic devices. Herein, we designed and constructed a graphene-based composite film, which contains chiral liquid crystals (cellulose nanocrystals, CNCs) inside graphene oxide (GO). The composite film was prepared by annealing and compacting of self-assembled GO-CNC, which contains chiral smectic liquid crystal structures. The helical arranged nanorods of carbonized CNC act as in-plane connections, which bridge neighboring graphene sheets. More interestingly, the chiral structures also act as through-plane connections, which bridge the upper and lower graphene layers. As a result, the graphene-based composite film shows extraordinary thermal conductivity, in both in-plane (1820.4 W m -1 K -1 ) and through-plane (4.596 W m -1 K -1 ) directions. As a thermal management material, the heat dissipation and transportation behaviors of the composite film were investigated using a self-heating system and the results showed that the real-time temperature of the heater covered with the film was 44.5 °C lower than a naked heater. The prepared film shows a much higher efficiency of heat transportation than the commonly used thermal conductive Cu foil. Additionally, this graphene-based composite film exhibits excellent mechanical strength of 31.6 MPa and an electrical conductivity of 667.4 S cm -1 . The strategy reported here may open a new avenue to the development of high-performance thermal management films.

Ultraviolet-pumped liquid-crystal dye-laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertolotti, M.; Sbrolli, L.; Scudieri, F.; Papa, T.

1981-01-01

The possibility offered by the orientation properties of liquid crystals as a matrix for dye lasers is shown. In particular, the linear polarization of emitted light can be changed by acting with an external magnetic field on the molecular nematic director. (author)

Calculation of Optical Parameters of Liquid Crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, A.

2007-12-01

Validation of a modified four-parameter model describing temperature effect on liquid crystal refractive indices is being reported in the present article. This model is based upon the Vuks equation. Experimental data of ordinary and extraordinary refractive indices for two liquid crystal samples MLC-9200-000 and MLC-6608 are used to validate the above-mentioned theoretical model. Using these experimental data, birefringence, order parameter, normalized polarizabilities, and the temperature gradient of refractive indices are determined. Two methods: directly using birefringence measurements and using Haller's extrapolation procedure are adopted for the determination of order parameter. Both approches of order parameter calculation are compared. The temperature dependences of all these parameters are discussed. A close agreement between theory and experiment is obtained.

NMR studies of macroscopic and microscopic properties of liquid crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hughes, J.R.

1998-03-01

The work presented is concerned with studies of orientational order in liquid crystals and the behaviour of certain mesophases. The experimental technique used in common with all the work is deuterium NMR spectroscopy. Much of the work involves studies of the orientational order of deuteriated solute molecules dissolved in liquid crystal solvents. Chapter 1 gives an introduction to liquid crystals followed by a quantitative description of orientational order. Deuterium NMR in liquid crystals is described and an outline of the molecular field theory behind the orientational order of a rigid, biaxial solute in a uniaxial mesophase is given. In Chapter 2 a novel type of mesophase induction is studied using NMR, where a solute induces up to two extra phases in a discotic mesogen depending on its concentration. The purpose of this work is to try to gain an understanding into the mechanism of the phase induction involved. Chapter 3 is concerned primarily with the macroscopic behaviour of the nematic phase formed by a semi-rigid main-chain polymer in solution. Of particular interest is the study of the reorientation of the monodomain, once the director has been rotated with respect to the magnetic field of the NMR spectrometer. A mesogen which has been claimed to exhibit a biaxial nematic phase is studied in Chapter 4, in order to determine the symmetry of the phase using NMR. Finally, Chapter 5 deals with the differing behaviour of a liquid crystal monomer and its dimer dissolved in common nematic solvents in order to determine whether this agrees with molecular field theory. (author)

Chemistry of Discotic Liquid Crystals From Monomers to Polymers

CERN Document Server

Kumar, Sandeep

2010-01-01

Compiling the scattered literature into a single seminal work, this book describes the basic design principles, synthesis, and mesomorphic properties of discotic liquid crystals. Of fundamental importance as models for the study of energy and charge migration in self-organized systems, discotic liquid crystals find functional application as one-dimensional conductors, photoconductors, light emitting diodes, photovoltaic solar cells, field-effect transistors, and gas sensors. This book highlights the scientific concepts behind the hierarchical self-assembly of these disc-shaped molecules alongs

Bond orientational ordering in a metastable supercooled liquid: a shadow of crystallization and liquid–liquid transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Hajime

2010-01-01

It is widely believed that a liquid state can be characterized by a single order parameter, density, and that a transition from a liquid to solid can be described by density ordering (translational ordering). For example, this type of theory has had great success in describing the phase behaviour of hard spheres. However, there are some features that cannot be captured by such theories. For example, hard spheres crystallize into either hcp or fcc structures, without a tendency of bcc ordering which is expected by the Alexander–McTague theory based on the Landau-type free energy of the density order parameter. We also found hcp-like bond orientational ordering in a metastable supercooled liquid, which promotes nucleation of hcp crystals. Furthermore, theories based on the single order parameter cannot explain water-like thermodynamic and kinetic anomalies of a liquid and liquid–liquid transition in a single-component liquid. Based on these facts, we argue that we need an additional order parameter to describe a liquid state. It is bond orientational order, which is induced by dense packing in hard spheres or by directional bonding in molecular and atomic liquids. Bond orientational order is intrinsically of local nature, unlike translational order which is of global nature. This feature plays a unique role in crystallization and quasicrystal formation. We also reveal that bond orientational ordering is a cause of dynamic heterogeneity near a glass transition and is linked to slow dynamics. In relation to this, we note that, for describing the structuring of a highly disordered liquid, we need a structural signature of low configurational entropy, which is more general than bond orientational order. Finally, the water-like anomaly and liquid–liquid transition can be explained by bond orientational ordering due to hydrogen or covalent bonding and its cooperativity, respectively. So we argue that bond orientational ordering is a key to the physical understanding

The opto-thermal effect on encapsulated cholesteric liquid crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yu-Sung; Lin, Hui-Chi; Yang, Kin-Min

2017-12-01

In this study, we implemented a micro-encapsulated CLC electronic paper that is optically addressed and electrically erasable. The mechanism that forms spot diameters on the CLC films is discussed and verified through various experimental parameters, including the thickness of CLCs and Poly(2,3-dihydrothieno-1,4-dioxin)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), pump intensity, and pumping time. The opto-thermal effect, brought on by the PEDOT:PSS absorbing layer, causes the spot diameters on the cholesteric liquid crystal thin films to vary. According to our results, the spot diameter is larger for a sample with a thinner cholesteric liquid crystal layer with the same excitation conditions and same thickness of the PEDOT layer. The spot diameter is also larger for a sample with a thicker PEDOT under the same excitation conditions and same thickness of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer. We proposed a simple heat-conducting model to explain the experimental results, which qualitatively agree with this theoretical model.

Ionic diffusion and salt dissociation conditions of lithium liquid crystal electrolytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Saito, Yuria; Hirai, Kenichi; Murata, Shuuhei; Kishii, Yutaka; Kii, Keisuke; Yoshio, Masafumi; Kato, Takashi

2005-06-16

Salt dissociation conditions and dynamic properties of ionic species in liquid crystal electrolytes of lithium were investigated by a combination of NMR spectra and diffusion coefficient estimations using the pulsed gradient spin-echo NMR techniques. Activation energies of diffusion (Ea) of ionic species changed with the phase transition of the electrolyte. That is, Ea of the nematic phase was lower than that of the isotropic phase. This indicates that the aligned liquid crystal molecules prepared efficient conduction pathways for migration of ionic species. The dissociation degree of the salt was lower compared with those of the conventional electrolyte solutions and polymer gel electrolytes. This is attributed to the low concentration of polar sites, which attract the dissolved salt and promote salt dissociation, on the liquid crystal molecules. Furthermore, motional restriction of the molecules due to high viscosity and molecular oriented configuration in the nematic phase caused inefficient attraction of the sites for the salt. With a decreased dissolved salt concentration of the liquid crystal electrolyte, salt dissociation proceeded, and two diffusion components attributed to the ion and ion pair were detected independently. This means that the exchange rate between the ion and the ion pair is fairly slow once the salt is dissociated in the liquid crystal electrolytes due to the low motility of the medium molecules that initiate salt dissociation.

Functional Smart Dispersed Liquid Crystals for Nano- and Biophotonic Applications: Nanoparticles-Assisted Optical Bioimaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. V. Kamanina

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Functional nematic liquid crystal structures doped with nano- and bioobjects have been investigated. The self-assembling features and the photorefractive parameters of the structured liquid crystals have been comparatively studied via microscopy and laser techniques. Fullerene, quantum dots, carbon nanotubes, DNA, and erythrocytes have been considered as the effective nano- and biosensitizers of the LC mesophase. The holographic recording technique based on four-wave mixing of the laser beams has been used to investigate the laser-induced change of the refractive index in the nano- and bioobjects-doped liquid crystal cells. The special accent has been given to novel nanostructured relief with vertically aligned carbon nanotubes at the interface: solid substrate-liquid crystal mesophase. It has been shown that this nanostructured relief influences the orienting ability of the liquid crystal molecules with good advantage. As a result, it provokes the orientation of the DNA. The modified functional liquid crystal materials have been proposed as the perspective systems for both the photonics and biology as well as the medical applications.

Evanescent Field Enhancement in Liquid Crystal Optical Fibers: A Field Characteristics Based Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. K. Choudhury

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the analysis of the electromagnetic wave propagation through liquid crystal optical fibers (LCOFs of two different types—conventional guides loaded with liquid crystals (addressed as LCOFs and those with additional twists due to conducting helical windings (addressed as HCLCOFs. More precisely, the three-layer optical waveguide structures are considered along with its outermost region being loaded with radially anisotropic liquid crystal material and the inner regions being made of usual silica, as used in conventional optical fibers. In addition to that, LCOF with twists introduced in the form of conducting helical windings at the interface of the silica core and the liquid crystal clad is also taken into account. Emphasis has been put on the power confinements by the lower-order TE modes sustained in the different sections of the LCOF structure. The results demonstrate useful applications of these guides in integrated optics as the power sustained in the liquid crystal section by the excited TE modes remains very high. In the case of twisted clad liquid crystal guides, descriptions are limited to the nature of dispersion relation only under the TE mode excitation, and corresponding to the cases of helix orientations being parallel and perpendicular to the optical axis.

Thermotropic liquid crystals recent advances

CERN Document Server

Ramamoorthy, Ayyalusamy

2007-01-01

This book covers developments in the field of thermotropic liquid crystals and their functional importance. It also presents advances related to different sub-areas pertinent to this interdisciplinary area of research. This text brings together research from synthetic scientists and spectroscopists and attempts to bridge the gaps between these areas. New physical techniques that are powerful in characterizing these materials are discussed.

Symmetry, structure, and dynamics of monoaxial chiral magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Togawa, Yoshihiko; Kousaka, Yusuke; Inoue, Katsuya; Kishine, Jun-ichiro

2016-01-01

Nontrivial spin orders with magnetic chirality emerge in a particular class of magnetic materials with structural chirality, which are frequently referred to as chiral magnets. Various interesting physical properties are expected to be induced in chiral magnets through the coupling of chiral magnetic orders with conduction electrons and electromagnetic fields. One promising candidate for achieving these couplings is a chiral spin soliton lattice. Here, we review recent experimental observations mainly carried out on the monoaxial chiral magnetic crystal CrNb_3S_6 via magnetic imaging using electron, neutron, and X-ray beams and magnetoresistance measurements, together with the strategy for synthesizing chiral magnetic materials and underlying theoretical backgrounds. The chiral soliton lattice appears under a magnetic field perpendicular to the chiral helical axis and is very robust and stable with phase coherence on a macroscopic length scale. The tunable and topological nature of the chiral soliton lattice gives rise to nontrivial physical properties. Indeed, it is demonstrated that the interlayer magnetoresistance scales to the soliton density, which plays an essential role as an order parameter in chiral soliton lattice formation, and becomes quantized with the reduction of the system size. These interesting features arising from macroscopic phase coherence unique to the chiral soliton lattice will lead to the exploration of routes to a new paradigm for applications in spin electronics using spin phase coherence. (author)

Synthesis of carbonated hydroxyapatite nanorods in liquid crystals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniella Dias Palombino de Campos

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Syntheses of calcium phosphate nanoparticles, carried out in systems formed from surfactant, oil and water, have resulted in materials with promising possibilities for application. The calcium phosphate particles were synthesized using two different liquid crystals, formed from RenexTM, cyclohexane and a salts solution. The morphology of the nanoparticles synthesized in the liquid crystals is similar to that of hydroxyapatite particles that form bone mineral, where collagen fibers connect these particles so as to form a composite. Therefore, the synthesis of calcium phosphate nanoparticles in the systems used in this work can advance current understanding of mineralization processes that result in the formation of bone mineral.

Liquid Crystal Airborne Display

Science.gov (United States)

1977-08-01

Cum.nings, J. P., et al., Properties and Limitations oe Liquid Crystals for Aircraft Displays, Honeywell Corporate Researc ."I Center, Final Report HR-72...basic module could be used to build displays for both the commercial and military! 157- marhecs, and so would establi sh a broad and sizable market ... market for the display becomes a reality; therein lies, f TABLE 16 THE COURSE OF FUTURE DISPLAY DEVELOPMENT Today 1976-77 1980 1985 Display Size 2" 1 3.2

The finite-size effect in thin liquid crystal systems

Science.gov (United States)

Śliwa, I.

2018-05-01

Effects of surface ordering in liquid crystal systems confined between cell plates are of great theoretical and experimental interest. Liquid crystals introduced in thin cells are known to be strongly stabilized and ordered by cell plates. We introduce a new theoretical method for analyzing the effect of surfaces on local molecular ordering in thin liquid crystal systems with planar geometry of the smectic layers. Our results show that, due to the interplay between pair long-range intermolecular forces and nonlocal, relatively short-range, surface interactions, both orientational and translational orders of liquid crystal molecules across confining cells are very complex. In particular, it is demonstrated that the SmA, nematic, and isotropic phases can coexist. The phase transitions from SmA to nematic, as well as from nematic to isotropic phases, occur not simultaneously in the whole volume of the system but begin to appear locally in some regions of the LC sample. Phase transition temperatures are demonstrated to be strongly affected by the thickness of the LC system. The dependence of the corresponding shifts of phase transition temperatures on the layer number is shown to exhibit a power law character. This new type of scaling behavior is concerned with the coexistence of local phases in finite systems. The influence of a specific character of interactions of molecules with surfaces and other molecules on values of the resulting critical exponents is also analyzed.

Thermal tunability of photonic bandgaps in liquid crystal infiltrated microstructured polymer optical fibers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yuan, Scott Wu; Wei, Lei; Alkeskjold, Thomas Tanggaard

2009-01-01

We demonstrate the photonic bandgap effect and the thermal tunability of bandgaps in microstructured polymer optical fibers infiltrated with liquid crystal. Two liquid crystals with opposite sign of the temperature gradient of the ordinary refractive index (E7 and MDA-00- 1444) are used to demons......We demonstrate the photonic bandgap effect and the thermal tunability of bandgaps in microstructured polymer optical fibers infiltrated with liquid crystal. Two liquid crystals with opposite sign of the temperature gradient of the ordinary refractive index (E7 and MDA-00- 1444) are used...... to demonstrate that both signs of the thermal tunability of the bandgaps are possible. The useful bandgaps are ultimately bounded to the visible range by the transparency window of the polymer....

Thermal Analysis, Mechanical and Rheological Behaviour of Melt Manufactured Polyethylene/Liquid Crystal Polymer Blends

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ilze ELKSNITE

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Modification of properties of conventional thermoplastics with thermotropic liquid crystal polymers, from one hand, allows decrease their viscosities, substantially facilitating processing conditions, and, from another hand, allows increase their exploitation properties. Orientation of the labile structure of liquid crystal polymer in extrusion or injection moulding causes specific reinforcement (so-called self-reinforcement to occur in the blends containing liquid crystal polymer. Up to now the effect of self-reinforcement is mostly investigated in the blends, containing considerable amount of liquid crystal polymer. In this research the effect of minor amounts of liquid crystalline co-polyester modifier on the properties of polyethylene is investigated. Various compositions of laboratory synthesized hydroxybenzoic acid /polyethylene terephtalate copolymer containing polyethylene composites have been manufactured by thermoplastic blending. It has been observed that 1 modulus of elasticity, yield strength and ultimate strength increase with raising the content of liquid crystalline modifier; 2 void content in the investigated polyethylene/liquid crystal copolymer composites is not greater that 1 %; 3 addition of liquid crystalline co-polyester modifier improves arrangement of PE crystalline phase.http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.17.2.483

Shrink, twist, ripple and melt: Studies of frustrated liquid crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Fernsler, Jonathan G.

Complex structures can arise out of a simple system with more than one competing influence on its behavior. The protypical example of this is the two-dimensional triangular lattice Ising model. The ferromagnetic model has two simple degenerate ground states of all spins up or down, but the antiferromagnetic model is a frustrated system. Its geometry does not allow satisfaction of the antiferro condition everywhere, which produces complex ordered structures with dimerization of the spins [1]. Without frustration, the complex structures and phase behavior are lost. All of the topics discussed in this thesis concern smectic liquid crystals. Liquid crystals are perhaps uniquely adept at manifesting frustrated phases. Their combination of periodicity in one or more dimensions allows ordered structures, yet their fluid nature in remaining dimensions allows creation of defects and extraordinarily complex structures in ways that a normal crystal could not tolerate. Liquid crystals contain a huge menagerie of frustrated phases and effects including the polarization modulated [2], vortex lattice [3], twist grain boundary [4], and blue [5] phases, as well as frustrated structures such as cholesteric or SmC* helix unwinding [6], defect lattices in thin films [7], and bend melted grain boundary defects [8], arising from boundary conditions and field effects. In this thesis, we study four liquid crystal systems that show unusual phase behavior or complex structures, deriving from the effects of frustration. Frustration, despite some human prejudices against the word, leaves nature all the more interesting and beautiful.

Validation of a Chiral Liquid Chromatographic Method for the Degradation Behavior of Flumequine Enantiomers in Mariculture Pond Water.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yan-Fei; Gao, Xiao-Feng; Jin, Huo-Xi; Wang, Yang-Guang; Wu, Wei-Jian; Ouyang, Xiao-Kun

2016-09-01

In this work, flumequine (FLU) enantiomers were separated using a Chiralpak OD-H column, with n-hexane-ethanol (20:80, v/v) as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.6 mL/min. Solid phase extraction (SPE) was used for cleanup and enrichment. The limit of detection, limit of quantitation, linearity, precision, and intra/interday variation of the chiral high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method were determined. The developed method was then applied to investigate the degradation behavior of FLU enantiomers in mariculture pond water samples. The results showed that the degradation of FLU enantiomers under natural, sterile, or dark conditions was not enantioselective. Chirality 28:649-655, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Microwave Tunable Bandpass Filter for Liquid Crystal Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Weiping; Jiang, Di; Liu, Yupeng; Yang, Yuanwang; Gan, Baichuan

2017-07-01

In this paper, a novel microwave continuously tunable band-pass filter, based on nematic liquid crystals (LCs), is proposed. It uses liquid crystal (LC) as the electro-optic material to mainly realize frequency shift at microwave band by changing the dielectric anisotropy, when applying the bias voltage. According to simulation results, it achieves 840 MHz offset. Comparing to the existing tunable filter, it has many advantages, such as continuously tunable, miniaturization, low processing costs, low tuning voltage, etc. Thus, it has shown great potentials in frequency domain and practical applications in modern communication.

Flexoelectricity in an oxadiazole bent-core nematic liquid crystal

OpenAIRE

Kaur, Sarabjot; Panov, V. P.; Greco, C.; Ferrarini, A.; Görtz, Verena; Goodby, John W.; Gleeson, Helen F.

2014-01-01

We have determined experimentally the magnitude of the difference in the splay and bend flexoelectric coefficients, |e 1 − e 3|, of an oxadiazole bent-core liquid crystal by measuring the critical voltage for the formation of flexodomains together with their wave number. The coefficient |e 1 − e 3| is found to be a factor of 2–3 times higher than in most conventional calamitic nematic liquid crystals, varying from 8 pCm−1 to 20 pCm−1 across the ∼60 K—wide nematic regime. We have also calculat...

Illuminating the chirality of Weyl fermions

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Qiong; Xu, Su-Yang; Chan, Ching-Kit; Zhang, Cheng-Long; Chang, Guoqing; Lin, Hsin; Jia, Shuang; Lee, Patrick; Gedik, Nuh; Jarillo-Herrero, Pablo

In particle physics, Weyl fermions (WF) are elementary particles that travel at the speed of light and have a definite chirality. In condensed matter, it has been recently realized that WFs can arise as magnetic monopoles in the momentum space of a novel topological metal, the Weyl semimetal (WSM). Their chirality, given by the sign of the monopole charge, is the defining property of a WSM, since it directly serves as the topological number and gives rise to exotic properties such as Fermi arcs and the chiral anomaly. Moreover, the two chiralities, analogous to the two valleys in 2D materials, lead to a new degree of freedom in a 3D crystal, suggesting novel pathways to store and carry information. By shining circularly polarized light on the WSM TaAs, we illuminate the chirality of the WFs and achieve an electrical current that is highly controllable based on the WFs' chirality. Our results open up a wide range of new possibilities for experimentally studying and controlling the WFs and their associated quantum anomalies by optical and electrical means, which suggest the exciting prospect of ``Weyltronics''.

Reorientation of single-wall carbon nanotubes in negative anisotropy liquid crystals by an electric field

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amanda García-García

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT are anisotropic nanoparticles that can cause modifications in the electrical and electro-optical properties of liquid crystals. The control of the SWCNT concentration, distribution and reorientation in such self-organized fluids allows for the possibility of tuning the liquid crystal properties. The alignment and reorientation of CNTs are studied in a system where the liquid crystal orientation effect has been isolated. Complementary studies including Raman spectroscopy, microscopic inspection and impedance studies were carried out. The results reveal an ordered reorientation of the CNTs induced by an electric field, which does not alter the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules. Moreover, impedance spectroscopy suggests a nonnegligible anchoring force between the CNTs and the liquid crystal molecules.

Phase-Shifting Liquid Crystal Interferometers for Microgravity Fluid Physics

Science.gov (United States)

Griffin, DeVon W.; Marshall, Keneth L.

2002-01-01

The initial focus of this project was to eliminate both of these problems in the Liquid Crystal Point-Diffraction Interferometer (LCPDI). Progress toward that goal will be described, along with the demonstration of a phase shifting Liquid Crystal Shearing Interferometer (LCSI) that was developed as part of this work. The latest LCPDI, other than a lens to focus the light from a test section onto a diffracting microsphere within the interferometer and a collimated laser for illumination, the pink region contained within the glass plates on the rod-mounted platform is the complete interferometer. The total width is approximately 1.5 inches with 0.25 inches on each side for bonding the electrical leads. It is 1 inch high and there are only four diffracting microspheres within the interferometer. As a result, it is very easy to align, achieving the first goal. The liquid crystal electro-optical response time is a function of layer thickness, with thinner devices switching faster due to a reduction in long-range viscoelastic forces between the LC molecules. The LCPDI has a liquid crystal layer thickness of 10 microns, which is controlled by plastic or glass microspheres embedded in epoxy 'pads' at the corners of the device. The diffracting spheres are composed of polystyrene/divinyl benzene polymer with an initial diameter of 15 microns. The spheres deform slightly when the interferometer is assembled to conform to the spacing produced by the microsphere-filled epoxy spacer pads. While the speed of this interferometer has not yet been tested, previous LCPDIs fabricated at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics switched at a rate of approximately 3.3 Hz, a factor of 10 slower than desired. We anticipate better performance when the speed of these interferometers is tested since they are approximately three times thinner. Phase shifting in these devices is a function of the AC voltage level applied to the liquid crystal. As the voltage increases, the dye in the liquid crystal

Sharp Morphological Transitions from Nanoscale Mixed-Anchoring Patterns in Confined Nematic Liquid Crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Armas-Pérez, Julio C. [Institute; División; Li, Xiao [Institute; Martínez-González, José A. [Institute; Smith, Coleman [Institute; Hernández-Ortiz, J. P. [Departamento; Nealey, Paul F. [Institute; Materials; de Pablo, Juan J. [Institute; Materials

2017-08-17

Liquid crystals are known to be particularly sensitive to orientational cues provided at surfaces or interfaces. In this work, we explore theoretically, computationally, and experimentally the behavior of liquid crystals on isolated nanoscale patterns with controlled anchoring characteristics at small length scales. The orientation of the liquid crystal is controlled through the use of chemically patterned polymer brushes that are tethered to a surface. This system can be engineered with remarkable precision, and the central question addressed here is whether a characteristic length scale exists at which information encoded on a surface is no longer registered by a liquid crystal. To do so, we adopt a tensorial description of the free energy of the hybrid liquidcrystal surface system, and we investigate its morphology in a systematic manner. For long and narrow surface stripes, it is found that the liquid crystal follows the instructions provided by the pattern down to 100 nm widths. This is accomplished through the creation of line defects that travel along the sides of the stripes. We show that a "sharp" morphological transition occurs from a uniform undistorted alignment to a dual uniform/splay-bend morphology. The theoretical and numerical predictions advanced here are confirmed by experimental observations. Our combined analysis suggests that nanoscale patterns can be used to manipulate the orientation of liquid crystals at a fraction of the energetic cost that is involved in traditional liquid crystal-based devices. The insights presented in this work have the potential to provide a new fabrication platform to assemble low power bistable devices, which could be reconfigured upon application of small external fields.

Mixing effects in the crystallization of supercooled quantum binary liquids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kühnel, M.; Kalinin, A.; Fernández, J. M.; Tejeda, G.; Moreno, E.; Montero, S.; Tramonto, F.; Galli, D. E.; Nava, M.; Grisenti, R. E.

2015-01-01

By means of Raman spectroscopy of liquid microjets, we have investigated the crystallization process of supercooled quantum liquid mixtures composed of parahydrogen (pH 2 ) or orthodeuterium (oD 2 ) diluted with small amounts of neon. We show that the introduction of the Ne impurities affects the crystallization kinetics in terms of a significant reduction of the measured pH 2 and oD 2 crystal growth rates, similarly to what found in our previous work on supercooled pH 2 -oD 2 liquid mixtures [Kühnel et al., Phys. Rev. B 89, 180201(R) (2014)]. Our experimental results, in combination with path-integral simulations of the supercooled liquid mixtures, suggest in particular a correlation between the measured growth rates and the ratio of the effective particle sizes originating from quantum delocalization effects. We further show that the crystalline structure of the mixtures is also affected to a large extent by the presence of the Ne impurities, which likely initiate the freezing process through the formation of Ne-rich crystallites

Mixing effects in the crystallization of supercooled quantum binary liquids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kühnel, M.; Kalinin, A. [Institut für Kernphysik, J. W. Goethe-Universität, Max-von-Laue-Str. 1, 60438 Frankfurt am Main (Germany); Fernández, J. M.; Tejeda, G.; Moreno, E.; Montero, S. [Laboratory of Molecular Fluid Dynamics, Instituto de Estructura de la Materia, CSIC, Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid (Spain); Tramonto, F.; Galli, D. E. [Laboratorio di Calcolo Parallelo e di Simulazioni di Materia Condensata, Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 16, 20133 Milano (Italy); Nava, M. [Laboratorio di Calcolo Parallelo e di Simulazioni di Materia Condensata, Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 16, 20133 Milano (Italy); Computational Science, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, USI Campus, Via Giuseppe Buffi 13, CH-6900 Lugano (Switzerland); Grisenti, R. E. [Institut für Kernphysik, J. W. Goethe-Universität, Max-von-Laue-Str. 1, 60438 Frankfurt am Main (Germany); GSI - Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Planckstr. 1, 64291 Darmstadt (Germany)

2015-08-14

By means of Raman spectroscopy of liquid microjets, we have investigated the crystallization process of supercooled quantum liquid mixtures composed of parahydrogen (pH{sub 2}) or orthodeuterium (oD{sub 2}) diluted with small amounts of neon. We show that the introduction of the Ne impurities affects the crystallization kinetics in terms of a significant reduction of the measured pH{sub 2} and oD{sub 2} crystal growth rates, similarly to what found in our previous work on supercooled pH{sub 2}-oD{sub 2} liquid mixtures [Kühnel et al., Phys. Rev. B 89, 180201(R) (2014)]. Our experimental results, in combination with path-integral simulations of the supercooled liquid mixtures, suggest in particular a correlation between the measured growth rates and the ratio of the effective particle sizes originating from quantum delocalization effects. We further show that the crystalline structure of the mixtures is also affected to a large extent by the presence of the Ne impurities, which likely initiate the freezing process through the formation of Ne-rich crystallites.

Liquid Crystal Phases of Colloidal Platelets and their Use as Nanocomposite Templates

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mourad, M.C.D.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304837563

2009-01-01

This thesis explores the gelation and liquid crystal phase behavior of colloidal dispersions of platelike particles as well as the use of such dispersions for the generation of nanocomposites. We report on the sol-gel, sol-glass and liquid crystal phase transitions of positively charged colloidal

Magneto-optic dynamics in a ferromagnetic nematic liquid crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Potisk, Tilen; Mertelj, Alenka; Sebastián, Nerea; Osterman, Natan; Lisjak, Darja; Brand, Helmut R.; Pleiner, Harald; Svenšek, Daniel

2018-01-01

We investigate dynamic magneto-optic effects in a ferromagnetic nematic liquid crystal experimentally and theoretically. Experimentally we measure the magnetization and the phase difference of the transmitted light when an external magnetic field is applied. As a model we study the coupled dynamics of the magnetization, M , and the director field, n , associated with the liquid crystalline orientational order. We demonstrate that the experimentally studied macroscopic dynamic behavior reveals the importance of a dynamic cross-coupling between M and n . The experimental data are used to extract the value of the dissipative cross-coupling coefficient. We also make concrete predictions about how reversible cross-coupling terms between the magnetization and the director could be detected experimentally by measurements of the transmitted light intensity as well as by analyzing the azimuthal angle of the magnetization and the director out of the plane spanned by the anchoring axis and the external magnetic field. We derive the eigenmodes of the coupled system and study their relaxation rates. We show that in the usual experimental setup used for measuring the relaxation rates of the splay-bend or twist-bend eigenmodes of a nematic liquid crystal one expects for a ferromagnetic nematic liquid crystal a mixture of at least two eigenmodes.

NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Incommensurate Crystals, Liquid Crystals, and Quasi-Crystals

CERN Document Server

Clark, N

1988-01-01

In this NATO-sponsored Advanced Research Workshop we succeeded in bringing together approximately forty scientists working in the three main areas of structurally incommensurate materials: incommensurate crystals (primarily ferroelectric insulators), incommensurate liquid crystals, and metallic quasi-crystals. Although these three classes of materials are quite distinct, the commonality of the physics of the origin and descrip­ tion of these incommensurate structures is striking and evident in these proceedings. A measure of the success of this conference was the degree to which interaction among the three subgroups occurred; this was facili­ tated by approximately equal amounts of theory and experiment in the papers presented. We thank the University of Colorado for providing pleasant housing and conference facilities at a modest cost, and we are especially grate­ ful to Ann Underwood, who retyped all the manuscripts into camera-ready form. J. F. Scott Boulder, Colorado N. A. Clark v CONTENTS PART I: INCO...

High-speed imaging polarimetry using liquid crystal modulators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ambs P.

2010-06-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with dynamic polarimetric imaging techniques. The basics of modern polarimetry have been known for one and a half century, but no practical high-speed implementation providing the full polarization information is currently available. Various methods are reviewed which prove to be a trade-off between the complexity of the optical set-up and the amount of polarimetric information they provide (ie the number of components of the Stokes vector. Techniques using liquid crystal devices, incepted in the late 1990's, are emphasized. Optical set-ups we implemented are presented. We particularly focus on high-speed techniques (i.e. faster than 200 Hz using ferroelectric liquid crystal devices.

Soft Elasticity in Main Chain Liquid Crystal Elastomers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anselm C. Griffin

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Main chain liquid crystal elastomers exhibit several interesting phenomena, such as three different regimes of elastic response, unconventional stress-strain relationship in one of these regimes, and the shape memory effect. Investigations are beginning to reveal relationships between their macroscopic behavior and the nature of domain structure, microscopic smectic phase structure, relaxation mechanism, and sample history. These aspects of liquid crystal elastomers are briefly reviewed followed by a summary of the results of recent elastic and high-resolution X-ray diffraction studies of the shape memory effect and the dynamics of the formation of the smectic-C chevron-like layer structure. A possible route to realizing auxetic effect at molecular level is also discussed.

Dye-Induced Enhancement of Optical Nonlinearity in Liquids and Liquid Crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muenster, R.; Jarasch, M.; Zhuang, X.; Shen, Y.

1997-01-01

Optical nonlinearity of liquid crystals (LC) in the isotropic phase can be enhanced by 1 order of magnitude by dissolving 0.1% of anthraquinone dye in the LC. The enhancement decreases by ∼30% when the LC transforms into the nematic phase. The same guest-host effect also exists in non-LC liquids. It can be explained by a model based on the change of guest-host interaction induced by optical excitations of the dye. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

Liquid Crystals of Lithium Dodecylbenzenesulfonate for Electric Double Layer Capacitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuzmin, Andrey Vasil’evich; Yurtov, Evgeny V.

2016-01-01

Ionic lyotropic liquid crystals based on lithium dodecylbenzenesulfonate were used as electrolytes for electric double layer capacitors with carbon fibrous electrodes. The capacitors were tasted by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge and discharge, and impedance spectroscopy. The highest specific capacitance was achieved for electrical double layer capacitor equipped with ionic lyotropic liquid crystal of lithium dodecylbenzenesulfonate 35 wt% in water. The specific capacitance of capacitor was calculated from galvanostatic discharge curves – 15 F/g of carbon fibrous material

Development of simulation approach for two-dimensional chiral molecular self-assembly driven by hydrogen bond at the liquid/solid interface

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Yuan; Yao, Man; Hao, Ce; Wan, Lijun; Wang, Yunhe; Chen, Ting; Wang, Dong; Wang, Xudong; Chen, Yonggang

2017-09-01

Two-dimensional (2D) chiral self-assembly system of 5-(benzyloxy)-isophthalic acid derivative/(S)-(+)-2-octanol/highly oriented pyrolytic graphite was studied. A combined density functional theory/molecular mechanics/molecular dynamics (DFT/MM/MD) approach for system of 2D chiral molecular self-assembly driven by hydrogen bond at the liquid/solid interface was thus proposed. Structural models of the chiral assembly were built on the basis of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images and simplified for DFT geometry optimization. Merck Molecular Force Field (MMFF) was singled out as the suitable force field by comparing the optimized configurations of MM and DFT. MM and MD simulations for hexagonal unit model which better represented the 2D assemble network were then preformed with MMFF. The adhesion energy, evolution of self-assembly process and characteristic parameters of hydrogen bond were obtained and analyzed. According to the above simulation, the stabilities of the clockwise and counterclockwise enantiomorphous networks were evaluated. The calculational results were supported by STM observations and the feasibility of the simulation method was confirmed by two other systems in the presence of chiral co-absorbers (R)-(-)-2-octanol and achiral co-absorbers 1-octanol. This theoretical simulation method assesses the stability trend of 2D enantiomorphous assemblies with atomic scale and can be applied to the similar hydrogen bond driven 2D chirality of molecular self-assembly system.

Smart lighting using a liquid crystal modulator

Science.gov (United States)

Baril, Alexandre; Thibault, Simon; Galstian, Tigran

2017-08-01

Now that LEDs have massively invaded the illumination market, a clear trend has emerged for more efficient and targeted lighting. The project described here is at the leading edge of the trend and aims at developing an evaluation board to test smart lighting applications. This is made possible thanks to a new liquid crystal light modulator recently developed for broadening LED light beams. The modulator is controlled by electrical signals and is characterized by a linear working zone. This feature allows the implementation of a closed loop control with a sensor feedback. This project shows that the use of computer vision is a promising opportunity for cheap closed loop control. The developed evaluation board integrates the liquid crystal modulator, a webcam, a LED light source and all the required electronics to implement a closed loop control with a computer vision algorithm.

Conductive properties of switchable photoluminescence thermosetting systems based on liquid crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Tercjak, Agnieszka; Gutierrez, Junkal; Ocando, Connie; Mondragon, Iñaki

2010-03-16

Conductive properties of different thermosetting materials modified with nematic 4'-(hexyl)-4-biphenyl-carbonitrile (HBC) liquid crystal and rutile TiO(2) nanoparticles were successfully studied by means of tunneling atomic force miscroscopy (TUNA). Taking into account the liquid crystal state of the HBC at room temperature, depending on both the HBC content and the presence of TiO(2) nanoparticles, designed materials showed different TUNA currents passed through the sample. The addition of TiO(2) nanoparticles into the systems multiply the detected current if compared to the thermosetting systems without TiO(2) nanoparticles and simultaneously stabilized the current passed through the sample, making the process reversible since the absolute current values were almost the same applying both negative and positive voltage. Moreover, thermosetting systems modified with liquid crystals with and without TiO(2) nanoparticles are photoluminescence switchable materials as a function of temperature gradient during repeatable heating/cooling cycle. Conductive properties of switchable photoluminescence thermosetting systems based on liquid crystals can allow them to find potential application in the field of photoresponsive devices, with a high contrast ratio between transparent and opaque states.

Characterising laser beams with liquid crystal displays

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Dudley, Angela L

2016-09-01

Full Text Available the intensity, phase, wavefront, Poynting vector, and orbital angular momentum density of unknown optical fields. This measurement technique makes use of a single spatial light modulator (liquid crystal display), a Fourier transforming lens and detector (CCD...

Dielectric relaxation studies in 5CB nematic liquid crystal at 9 GHz ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Resonance width, shift in resonance frequency, relaxation time and activation energy of 5CB nematic liquid crystal are measured using microwave cavity technique under the influence of an external magnetic field at 9 GHz and at different temperatures. The dielectric response in liquid crystal at different temperatures and ...

Frozen Chirality of Tertiary Aromatic Amides: Access to Enantioenriched Tertiary α-Amino Acid or Amino Alcohol without Chiral Reagent.

Science.gov (United States)

Mai, Thi Thoa; Viswambharan, Baby; Gori, Didier; Guillot, Régis; Naubron, Jean-Valère; Kouklovsky, Cyrille; Alezra, Valérie

2017-04-27

One of the fundamental and intriguing aspects of life is the homochirality of the essential molecules. In this field, the absolute asymmetric synthesis of α-amino acids is a major challenge. Herein, we report access, by chemical means, to tertiary α-amino acid derivatives in up to 96 % ee without using any chiral reagent. In our strategy, the dynamic axial chirality of tertiary aromatic amides is frozen in a crystal and is responsible for the stereoselectivity of the subsequent steps. Furthermore, we could control the configuration of the final product by manually sorting and selecting the initial crystals. Based on vibrational circular dichroism studies, we could rationalize the observed stereoselectivity. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Evaluation of the chiral recognition properties and the column performances of three chiral stationary phases based on cellulose for the enantioseparation of six dihydropyridines by high-performance liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Jia; Tang, Jing; Yuan, Xiaowei; Guo, Xingjie; Zhao, Longshan

2017-03-01

Separations of six dihydropyridine enantiomers on three commercially available cellulose-based chiral stationary phases (Chiralcel OD-RH, Chiralpak IB, and Chiralpak IC) were evaluated with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The best enantioseparation of the six chiral drugs was obtained with a Chiralpak IC (250 × 4.6 mm i.d., 5 μm) column. Then the influence of the mobile phase including an alcohol-modifying agent and alkaline additive on the enantioseparation were investigated and optimized. The optimal mobile phase conditions and maximum resolution for every analyte were as follows respectively: n-hexane/isopropanol (85:15, v/v) for nimodipine (R = 5.80) and cinildilpine (R = 5.65); n-hexane/isopropanol (92:8, v/v) for nicardipine (R = 1.76) and nisoldipine (R = 1.92); and n-hexane/isopropanol/ethanol (97:2:1, v/v/v) for felodipine (R = 1.84) and lercanidipine (R = 1.47). Relative separation mechanisms are discussed based on the separation results, and indicate that the achiral parts in the analytes' structure showed an important influence on the separation of the chiral column. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Molecular-level Design of Heterogeneous Chiral Catalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gellman, Andrew John [Carnegie Mellon University; Sholl, David S. [Georgia Institute of Technology; Tysoe, Wilfred T. [University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee; Zaera, Francisco [University of California at Riverside

2013-04-28

) modified by a variety of chiral templates. • Demonstrated enantioselective separation of racemic PO on chemically synthesized chiral gold nanoparticles. • Discovery of zwitterionic adsorption states of amino acids on Pd(111). • First structure determinations of adsorbed amino acids and identification of tetrameric chiral template structures. • Exploration of the enantiospecific interaction of PO and R-3-MCHO adsorption on chirally modified Cu(100), Cu(110) and Cu(111). One-to-One Interactions • Determination of cinchona orientation on Pt surfaces in situ at the solid-liquid interface using FT-IRAS. • Systematic study of the influence of solution properties on the adsorption of modified cinchonas alkaloids onto Pt surfaces. • Correlation of cinchona adsorption with catalytic activity, as affected by concentration, the nature of the solvent, and dissolved gases in the liquid phase. • Measurement of enantioselective chemisorption on 1-(1-naphthyl) ethylamine (NEA) modified Pt(111) and Pd(111) surfaces. • Imaging of chiral docking complexes between NEA and methyl pyruvate on Pd(111). Chiral Catalyst Synthesis • Anchoring of cinchona alkaloid to surfaces • Synthesis of chiral Au nanoparticles and demonstration of their enantiospecific interactions with R- and S-PO. • Elucidation of the driving forces for chiral imprinting of Cu(100) by L- and D-lysine to form Cu(3,1,17)R&S facets.

Nonlinear dynamical phenomena in liquid crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, X.Y.; Sun, Z.M.

1988-09-01

Because of the existence of the orientational order and anisotropy in liquid crystals, strong nonlinear phenomena and singular behaviors, such as solitary wave, transient periodic structure, chaos, fractal and viscous fingering, can be excited by a very small disturbance. These phenomena and behaviors are in connection with physics, biology and mathematics. 12 refs, 6 figs

Chiral HPLC for a study of the optical purity of new liquid crystalline materials derived from lactic acid

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vojtylová, Terézia; Kašpar, Miroslav; Hamplová, Věra; Novotná, Vladimíra; Sýkora, D.

2014-01-01

Roč. 87, č. 8 (2014), s. 758-769 ISSN 0141-1594 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-14133S Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : lactic acid derivative * smectic phase * high performance liquid chromatography * chiral separation Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation Impact factor: 0.954, year: 2014 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01411594.2014.893344#.VGxWfVeNrcs

Multistability in planar liquid crystal wells

KAUST Repository

Luo, Chong

2012-06-08

A planar bistable liquid crystal device, reported in Tsakonas, is modeled within the Landau-de Gennes theory for nematic liquid crystals. This planar device consists of an array of square micrometer-sized wells. We obtain six different classes of equilibrium profiles and these profiles are classified as diagonal or rotated solutions. In the strong anchoring case, we propose a Dirichlet boundary condition that mimics the experimentally imposed tangent boundary conditions. In the weak anchoring case, we present a suitable surface energy and study the multiplicity of solutions as a function of the anchoring strength. We find that diagonal solutions exist for all values of the anchoring strength W≥0, while rotated solutions only exist for W≥W c>0, where W c is a critical anchoring strength that has been computed numerically. We propose a dynamic model for the switching mechanisms based on only dielectric effects. For sufficiently strong external electric fields, we numerically demonstrate diagonal-to-rotated and rotated-to-diagonal switching by allowing for variable anchoring strength across the domain boundary. © 2012 American Physical Society.

Multistability in planar liquid crystal wells

KAUST Repository

Luo, Chong; Majumdar, Apala; Erban, Radek

2012-01-01

A planar bistable liquid crystal device, reported in Tsakonas, is modeled within the Landau-de Gennes theory for nematic liquid crystals. This planar device consists of an array of square micrometer-sized wells. We obtain six different classes of equilibrium profiles and these profiles are classified as diagonal or rotated solutions. In the strong anchoring case, we propose a Dirichlet boundary condition that mimics the experimentally imposed tangent boundary conditions. In the weak anchoring case, we present a suitable surface energy and study the multiplicity of solutions as a function of the anchoring strength. We find that diagonal solutions exist for all values of the anchoring strength W≥0, while rotated solutions only exist for W≥W c>0, where W c is a critical anchoring strength that has been computed numerically. We propose a dynamic model for the switching mechanisms based on only dielectric effects. For sufficiently strong external electric fields, we numerically demonstrate diagonal-to-rotated and rotated-to-diagonal switching by allowing for variable anchoring strength across the domain boundary. © 2012 American Physical Society.

Directional Scattering of Semiconductor Nanoparticles Embedded in a Liquid Crystal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Braulio García-Cámara

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Light scattering by semiconductor nanoparticles has been shown to be more complex than was believed until now. Both electric and magnetic responses emerge in the visible range. In addition, directional effects on light scattering of these nanoparticles were recently obtained. In particular, zero backward and minimum-forward scattering are observed. These phenomena are very interesting for several applications such as, for instance, optical switches or modulators. The strong dependence of these phenomena on the properties of both the particle and the surrounding medium can be used to tune them. The electrical control on the optical properties of liquid crystals could be used to control the directional effects of embedded semiconductor nanoparticles. In this work, we theoretically analyze the effects on the directional distribution of light scattering by these particles when the refractive index of a surrounded liquid crystal changes from the ordinary to the extraordinary configuration. Several semiconductor materials and liquid crystals are studied in order to optimize the contrast between the two states.

Synthesis and characterization of chiral thorium(IV) and uranium(IV) benzamidinate complexes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schoene, Sebastian; Maerz, Juliane; Kaden, Peter; Patzschke, Michael; Ikeda-Ohno, Atsushi [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf e.V., Dresden (Germany). Chemistry of the F-Elements

2017-06-01

Two chiral benzamidinate complexes of tetravalent actinides (Th(IV) and U(IV)) were synthesized using a salt metathesis reaction of the corresponding actinide(IV) tetrachlorides and the potassium salt of the chiral benzamidine (S,S)-N,N-Bis-(1-phenylethyl)-benzamidine ((S)-HPEBA). The structure of the complexes was determined with single crystal X-ray diffraction. These are the first examples of chiral amidinate complexes of actinides.

Liquid crystal templating as an approach to spatially and temporally organise soft matter.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Asdonk, Pim; Kouwer, Paul H J

2017-10-02

Chemistry quickly moves from a molecular science to a systems science. This requires spatial and temporal control over the organisation of molecules and molecular assemblies. Whilst Nature almost by default (transiently) organises her components at multiple different length scales, scientists struggle to realise even relatively straightforward patterns. In the past decades, supramolecular chemistry has taught us the rules to precisely engineer molecular assembly at the nanometre scale. At higher length scales, however, we are bound to top-down nanotechnology techniques to realise order. For soft, biological matter, many of these top-down techniques come with serious limitations since the molecules generally show low susceptibilities to the applied stimuli. A new method is based on liquid crystal templating. In this hierarchical approach, a liquid crystalline host serves as the scaffold to order polymers or assemblies. Being a liquid crystal, the host material can be ordered at many different length scales and on top of that, is highly susceptible to many external stimuli, which can even be used to manipulate the liquid crystal organisation in time. As a result, we anticipate large control over the organisation of the materials inside the liquid crystalline host. Recently, liquid crystal templating was also realised in water. This suddenly makes this tool highly applicable to start organising more delicate biological materials or even small organisms. We review the scope and limitations of liquid crystal templating and look out to where the technique may lead us.

Modeling texture transitions in cholesteric liquid crystal droplets

Science.gov (United States)

Selinger, Robin; Gimenez-Pinto, Vianney; Lu, Shin-Ying; Selinger, Jonathan; Konya, Andrew

2012-02-01

Cholesteric liquid crystals can be switched reversibly between planar and focal-conic textures, a property enabling their application in bistable displays, liquid crystal writing tablets, e-books, and color switching ``e-skins.'' To explore voltage-pulse induced switching in cholesteric droplets, we perform simulation studies of director dynamics in three dimensions. Electrostatics calculations are solved at each time step using an iterative relaxation method. We demonstrate that as expected, a low amplitude pulse drives the transition from planar to focal conic, while a high amplitude pulse drives the transition from focal conic back to the planar state. We use the model to explore the effects of droplet shape, aspect ratio, and anchoring conditions, with the goal of minimizing both response time and energy consumption.

Electrothermally Driven Fluorescence Switching by Liquid Crystal Elastomers Based On Dimensional Photonic Crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Changxu; Jiang, Yin; Tao, Cheng-An; Yin, Xianpeng; Lan, Yue; Wang, Chen; Wang, Shiqiang; Liu, Xiangyang; Li, Guangtao

2017-04-05

In this article, the fabrication of an active organic-inorganic one-dimensional photonic crystal structure to offer electrothermal fluorescence switching is described. The film is obtained by spin-coating of liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) and TiO 2 nanoparticles alternatively. By utilizing the property of LCEs that can change their size and shape reversibly under external thermal stimulations, the λ max of the photonic band gap of these films is tuned by voltage through electrothermal conversion. The shifted photonic band gap further changes the matching degree between the photonic band gap of the film and the emission spectrum of organic dye mounting on the film. With rhodamine B as an example, the enhancement factor of its fluorescence emission is controlled by varying the matching degree. Thus, the fluorescence intensity is actively switched by voltage applied on the system, in a fast, adjustable, and reversible manner. The control chain of using the electrothermal stimulus to adjust fluorescence intensity via controlling the photonic band gap is proved by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and UV-vis reflectance. This mechanism also corresponded to the results from the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation. The comprehensive usage of photonic crystals and liquid crystal elastomers opened a new possibility for active optical devices.

Thermal diode made by nematic liquid crystal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Melo, Djair, E-mail: djfmelo@gmail.com [Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n, 57072-900 Maceió, AL (Brazil); Fernandes, Ivna [Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n, 57072-900 Maceió, AL (Brazil); Moraes, Fernando [Departamento de Física, CCEN, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Caixa Postal 5008, 58051-900, João Pessoa, PB (Brazil); Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, 52171-900 Recife, PE (Brazil); Fumeron, Sébastien [Institut Jean Lamour, Université de Lorraine, BP 239, Boulevard des Aiguillettes, 54506 Vandoeuvre les Nancy (France); Pereira, Erms [Escola Politécnica de Pernambuco, Universidade de Pernambuco, Rua Benfíca, 455, Madalena, 50720-001 Recife, PE (Brazil)

2016-09-07

This work investigates how a thermal diode can be designed from a nematic liquid crystal confined inside a cylindrical capillary. In the case of homeotropic anchoring, a defect structure called escaped radial disclination arises. The asymmetry of such structure causes thermal rectification rates up to 3.5% at room temperature, comparable to thermal diodes made from carbon nanotubes. Sensitivity of the system with respect to the heat power supply, the geometry of the capillary tube and the molecular anchoring angle is also discussed. - Highlights: • An escaped radial disclination as a thermal diode made by a nematic liquid crystal. • Rectifying effects comparable to those caused by carbon and boron nitride nanotubes. • Thermal rectification increasing with radius and decreasing with height of the tube. • Asymmetric BCs cause rectification from the spatial asymmetry produced by the escape. • Symmetric BCs provide rectifications smaller than those yields by asymmetric BCs.

Photosensitive bent-core liquid crystals based on methyl substituted 3-hydroxybenzoic acid.

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kohout, M.; Alaasar, M.; Poryvai, A.; Novotná, Vladimíra; Poppe, S.; Tschierske, C.; Svoboda, J.

2017-01-01

Roč. 7, č. 57 (2017), s. 35805-35813 ISSN 2046-2069 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA16-12150S Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : liquid crystals * photosensitivity * bent-core liquid crystals * 3-hydroxybenzoic acid Subject RIV: JJ - Other Materials OBOR OECD: Nano-materials (production and properties) Impact factor: 3.108, year: 2016

Compact electrically controlled broadband liquid crystal photonic bandgap fiber polarizer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wei, Lei; Alkeskjold, Thomas Tanggaard; Bjarklev, Anders Overgaard

2009-01-01

An electrically controlled liquid crystal photonic-bandgap fiber polarizer is experimentally demonstrated. A maximum 21.3dB electrically tunable polarization extinction ratio is achieved with 45° rotatable transmission axis as well as switched on and off in 1300nm–1600nm.......An electrically controlled liquid crystal photonic-bandgap fiber polarizer is experimentally demonstrated. A maximum 21.3dB electrically tunable polarization extinction ratio is achieved with 45° rotatable transmission axis as well as switched on and off in 1300nm–1600nm....

Natural terpene derivatives as new structural task-specific ionic liquids to enhance the enantiorecognition of acidic enantiomers on teicoplanin-based stationary phase by high-performance liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Flieger, Jolanta; Feder-Kubis, Joanna; Tatarczak-Michalewska, Małgorzata; Płazińska, Anita; Madejska, Anna; Swatko-Ossor, Marta

2017-06-01

We present the specific cooperative effect of a semisynthetic glycopeptide antibiotic teicoplanin and chiral ionic liquids containing the (1R,2S,5R)-(-)-menthol moiety on the chiral recognition of enantiomers of mandelic acid, vanilmandelic acid, and phenyllactic acid. Experiments were performed chromatographically on an Astec Chirobiotic T chiral stationary phase applying the mobile phase with the addition of the chiral ionic liquids. The stereoselective binding of enantiomers to teicoplanin in presence of new chiral ionic liquids were evaluated applying thermodynamic measurements and the docking simulations. Both the experimental and theoretical methods revealed that the chiral recognition of enantiomers in the presence of new chiral ionic liquids was enthalpy driven. The changes of the teicoplanin conformation occurring upon binding of the chiral ionic liquids are responsible for the differences in the standard changes in Gibbs energy (ΔG 0 ) values obtained for complexes formed by the R and S enantiomers and teicoplanin. Docking simulations revealed the steric adjustment between the chiral ionic liquids cyclohexane ring (chair conformation) and the β-d-glucosamine ring of teicoplanin and additionally hydrophobic interactions between the decanoic aliphatic chain of teicoplanin and the alkyl group of the tested salts. The obtained terpene derivatives can be considered as "structural task-specific ionic liquids" responsible for enhancing the chiral resolution in synergistic systems with two chiral selectors. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Enantiomeric Separation of 1-(Benzofuran-2-yl)alkylamines on Chiral Stationary Phases Based on Chiral Crown Ethers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Soohyun; Kim, Sang Jun; Hyun, Myung Ho

2012-01-01

Optically active chiral amines are important as building blocks for pharmaceuticals and as scaffolds for chiral ligands and, consequently, many efforts have been devoted to the development of efficient methods for their preparation. For example, reduction of amine precursors with chiral catalysts, enzymatic kinetic resolution or dynamic kinetic resolution of racemic amines and the direct amination of ketones with transaminases have been developed as the efficient methods for the preparation of optically active chiral amines. During the process of developing or utilizing optically active chiral amines, the methods for the determination of their enantiomeric composition are essential. Among various methods, liquid chromatographic resolution of enantiomers on chiral stationary phases (CSPs) have been known to be one of the most accurate and economic means for the determination of the enantiomeric composition of optically active chiral compounds. Especially, CSPs based on chiral crown ethers have been successfully used for the resolution of racemic primary amines. For example, CSPs based on (+)-(18-crown-6)-2,3,11,12-tetracarboxylic acid (CSP 1, Figure 1) or (3,3'-diphenyl-1,1'-binaphthyl)-20-crown-6 (CSP 2 and CSP 3, Figure 1) have been known to be quite effective for the resolution of cyclic and non-cyclic amines, various fluoroquinolone antibacterials containing a primary amino group, tocainide (antiarrhythmic agent) and its analogues, aryl-a-amino ketones and 3-amino-1,4-benzodiazepin-2-ones

Synthesis, characterization and electro-optic properties of novel siloxane liquid crystalline with a large tilt angle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liao, Chien-Tung; Lee, Jiunn-Yih; Lai, Chiu-Chun

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → In this study we report the synthesis and characterization of new ferroelectric liquid crystal material. → We examined the influence of the addition of a trisiloxane end-group on one side-chain of an achiral alkyl chain on the phase transition. → Finally, the properties of the chiral smectic C (SmC*) phase were measured for target compounds. - Abstract: This paper presents a study of the ferroelectric behavior in low molar mass organosiloxane liquid crystal materials. A few novel series of compounds with a large tilt angle were synthesized, and the mesophases exhibited were compared. The mesophases under discussion were investigated by means of polarizing microscopy (POM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electro-optical experiments. The influence of the molecular structure on the occurrence of the chiral smectic C (SmC*) phase was investigated. Finally, the electro-optical properties of the SmC* phase, such as tilt angle, dielectric permittivity and switching behavior were also measured. As a consequence, the correlation between the electro-optical properties and chemical structures of these compounds was investigated.

New Chiral Bis-Dipolar 6,6'-Disubstituted-Binaphthol Derivatives for Second-Order Nonlinear Optics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deussen, Heinz-Josef; Boutton, Carlo; Thorup, Niels

1998-01-01

(S)everal chiral molecules with C-2 symmetry derived from two geometries of the binaphthol (BN) system substituted with different accepters have been synthesized in order to study the possibility of producing noncentrosymmetric crystals formed from these chiral structures. All the molecules possess...... cancel out exactly despite the noncentrosymmetry. The crystal structure of racemic 9,14-dicyanodinaphtho[2,1-d:1',2'-f][1,3]-dioxepin (2b) was found to be centrosymmetric. The new compounds were investigated for second-harmonic generation (including BN derivatives reported earlier) by the Kurtz......-Perry powder test to evaluate the second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of polycrystalline samples. Although chirality ensures noncentrosymmetric crystals, only modest (approximate to 2-methyl-4-nitroaniline) or no nonlinearities were observed in the powder test, For a representative selection...

Thermal conductivity of Glycerol's liquid, glass, and crystal states, glass-liquid-glass transition, and crystallization at high pressures.

Science.gov (United States)

Andersson, Ove; Johari, G P

2016-02-14

To investigate the effects of local density fluctuations on phonon propagation in a hydrogen bonded structure, we studied the thermal conductivity κ of the crystal, liquid, and glassy states of pure glycerol as a function of the temperature, T, and the pressure, p. We find that the following: (i) κcrystal is 3.6-times the κliquid value at 140 K at 0.1 MPa and 2.2-times at 290 K, and it varies with T according to 138 × T(-0.95); (ii) the ratio κliquid (p)/κliquid (0.1 MPa) is 1.45 GPa(-1) at 280 K, which, unexpectedly, is about the same as κcrystal (p)/κcrystal (0.1 MPa) of 1.42 GPa(-1) at 298 K; (iii) κglass is relatively insensitive to T but sensitive to the applied p (1.38 GPa(-1) at 150 K); (iv) κglass-T plots show an enhanced, pressure-dependent peak-like feature, which is due to the glass to liquid transition on heating; (v) continuous heating cold-crystallizes ultraviscous glycerol under pressure, at a higher T when p is high; and (vi) glycerol formed by cooling at a high p and then measured at a low p has a significantly higher κ than the glass formed by cooling at a low p. On heating at a fixed low p, its κ decreases before its glass-liquid transition range at that p is reached. We attribute this effect to thermally assisted loss of the configurational and vibrational instabilities of a glass formed at high p and recovered at low p, which is different from the usual glass-aging effect. While the heat capacity, entropy, and volume of glycerol crystal are less than those for its glass and liquid, κcrystal of glycerol, like its elastic modulus and refractive index, is higher. We discuss these findings in terms of the role of fluctuations in local density and structure, and the relations between κ and the thermodynamic quantities.

A flexible optically re-writable color liquid crystal display

Science.gov (United States)