Size-dependent ordering of liquid crystals observed in polymeric capsules with micrometer and smaller diameters.
Made to order: Aqueous dispersions of polymer-encapsulated liquid crystal (LC) droplets were synthesized with precise interfacial chemistry and sizes in the micrometer-to-sub-micrometer range. Size-dependent changes in LC ordering could be observed. Study of the competition between size and interfacial chemistry on LC ordering enables size-dependent properties of LC droplets to be exploited in applications such as photonics and sensing.
Gupta
Jugal K
JK
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
Sivakumar
Sri
S
Caruso
Frank
F
Abbott
Nicholas L
NL