title: Molecular self-organization in cylindrical nanocavities.
abstract: We studied molecular organization in cylindrical nanocavities using liquid crystals. NMR analysis shows high surface-induced ordering way above the bulk critical temperature. The surface-order evolution reveals replacement of the isotropic phase by a paranematic phase and surface-induced disordering in the nematic phase. Due to strong surface potential and nanoconfinement, complete wetting and continuous evolution of the surface-order parameter are observed through the nematic-paranematic transition. As we show, the counter-intuitive absence of complete phase transition at the interface while an abrupt phase transition was measured in the averaged order parameter is in good agreement with established theories.
authors.affiliation: Division of Engineering and Department of Physics, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA. Sylvain_Cloutier@brown.edu
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Cloutier
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Eakin
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Guico
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Xu