Experimental realization of biaxial liquid crystal phases in colloidal dispersions of boardlike particles.
Biaxial nematic and biaxial smectic phases were found in a colloidal model system of goethite (alpha-FeOOH) particles with a simple boardlike shape and short-range repulsive interaction. The macroscopic domains were oriented by a magnetic field and their structure was revealed by small angle x-ray scattering. In accordance with theoretical predictions, biaxiality appears in a system with particles that have a shape almost exactly in between rodlike and platelike. Our results suggest that biaxial phases can be readily obtained by a proper choice of the particle shape.
van den Pol
E
E
Van't Hoff Laboratory for Physical and Colloid Chemistry, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Petukhov
A V
AV
Thies-Weesie
D M E
DM
Byelov
D V
DV
Vroege
G J
GJ