title: Colloid-liquid-crystal composites: An unusual soft solid
abstract: Mixing model colloidal particles with a thermotropic nematic liquid crystal results in a soft solid with significant storage modulus (G' approximately 10(3)-10(5) Pa). The soft solid comprises a network of particle aggregates, formed by the exclusion of particles from emergent nematic domains as the mixture is cooled below the isotropic-nematic transition. The unusually high storage modulus of the colloid-liquid-crystal composites may be due to the local frustration of nematic order within the particle aggregates. The birefringent soft solid is potentially important as a switchable electro-optical material that can be readily handled and processed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Edinburgh, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JZ, United Kingdom.
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Meeker
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Poon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Crain
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Terentjev