Colloidal shape controlled by molecular adsorption at liquid crystal interfaces.
The ability to control finely the structure of materials remains a central issue in colloidal science. Due to their elastic properties, liquid crystals (LC) are increasingly used to organize matter at the micrometer scale in soft composites. Textures and shapes of LC droplets are currently controlled by the competition between elasticity and anchoring, hydrodynamic flows, or external fields. Molecules adsorbed specifically at LC interfaces are known to orient LC molecules (anchoring effect), but other induced effects have been poorly explored. Using specifically designed amphitropic surfactants, we demonstrate that large-shape transformations can be achieved in direct LC/water emulsions. In particular, we focus on unusual nematic filaments formed from spherical droplets. These results suggest new approaches to design new soft LC composite materials through the adsorption of molecules at liquid crystal interfaces.
Toquer
Guillaume
G
Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal, UPR 8641, CNRS, Avenue Albert Schweitzer, 33600 Pessac, France.
Phou
Ty
T
Monge
Sophie
S
Grimaldi
Antoine
A
Nobili
Maurizio
M
Blanc
Christophe
C