Shape and director field deformation of tactoids of plate-like colloids in a magnetic field.
We investigated by means of polarization microscopy the influence of a magnetic field on the shape and director field of nematic droplets in dispersions of plate-like colloidal particles. To interpret the experimental observations, we put forward a simple theory in which we presume strong anchoring and a sphero-cylindrical droplet shape. This model allows us to extract values for the interfacial tension and the splay elastic constant from the experimental data.
Verhoeff
Aletta A
AA
Van 't Hoff Laboratory for Physical and Colloid Chemistry, Debye Institute for NanoMaterials Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. a.a.verhoeff@uu.nl
Otten
Ronald H J
RH
van der Schoot
Paul
P
Lekkerkerker
Henk N W
HN