Nematoelasticity of hybrid molecular-colloidal liquid crystals

Molecular engineering of chiral colloidal liquid crystals using DNA origami.

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. T...

Electrorotation of colloidal particles in liquid crystals.

We present the first observations of dc electric-field-induced rotational motion of finite particles in liquid crystals. We show that the electrorotation is essentially identical to the well-known Quincke rotation, which in liquid crystals triggers an additional translational motion at higher fields. In the smectic phase the translational motion is confined to the two-dimensional geometry of sm...

Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals

Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals

The problem of finding the equilibrium shape of a small particle by the Wulff construction is reviewed briefly, with emphasis on its applications to liquid crystals. The proof of Wulff’s theorem is stated in a concise mathematical form. Some typical equilibrium shapes of liquid crystalline cirops are described. When there is orientational order of the molecules in the liquid crystal but no tran...

Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals

A series of new heterocyclic stable free radicals based on the thioaminyl fragment 1 was designed in order to introduce a x-delocalized spin to the rigid cores of mesogenic molecules. The design allows for preparation of calamitic and discotic liquid crystals. Computational analysis and first experimental results of the radicals (ESR) are presented. The thioaminyl group' (1) has been featured a...