Liquid crystalline nanowires in porous alumina: geometric confinement versus influence of pore walls.
Aligned liquid crystalline nanowires within ordered porous alumina templates show a pronounced texture on a macroscopic scale. We have investigated the influence of the geometric confinement and the nature of the pore walls on the mesophase formation by means of X-ray diffraction. The apparent texture is the result of a complex interplay of the pore geometry, interfacial phenomena, and the thermal history. Pores with a diameter of a few hundred nm guide the mesophase formation more efficiently than those with a diameter below 100 nm.
Steinhart
Martin
M
Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Weinberg 2, D-6120 Halle, Germany. steinhart@mpi-halle.de
Zimmermann
Sven
S
Göring
Petra
P
Schaper
Andreas K
AK
Gösele
Ulrich
U
Weder
Christoph
C
Wendorff
Joachim H
JH
D000537:Aluminum Oxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D008422:Materials Testing; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D043942:Nanotubes / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010316:Particle Size; D044367:Phase Transition; D016062:Porosity; D012996:Solutions; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
D012996:Solutions; D000537:Aluminum Oxide