title: Experimental realization of biaxial liquid crystal phases in colloidal dispersions of boardlike particles.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Van't Hoff Laboratory for Physical and Colloid Chemistry, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van den Pol
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Petukhov
authors.forename: D M E
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Thies-Weesie
authors.forename: D V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Byelov
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Vroege