Phase behavior of nanoparticles in a thermotropic liquid crystal.
In this work, we describe the outstanding behavior of a nanocomposite system composed of the thermotropic liquid crystal 5CB doped with nanoparticles of the magnetic iron oxide maghemite (gamma-Fe(2)O(3)). We show that the I-N transition is associated with a reversible gathering of nanoparticles inside droplets of the ferronematic phase coexisting with a nonmagnetic nematic host phase.
Da Cruz
Cristina
C
Laboratoire des Liquides Ioniques et Interfaces Chargées, Unité Mixte de Recherche, 7612 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Case 63, 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris, Cedex 05, France.
Sandre
Olivier
O
Cabuil
Valérie
V