title: Confinement induced splay-to-bend transition of colloidal rods.
abstract: We study the nematic phase of rodlike f d-virus particles confined to channels with wedge-structured walls. Using laser scanning confocal microscopy we observe a splay-to-bend transition at the single particle level as a function of the wedge opening angle. Lattice Boltzmann simulations reveal the underlying origin of the transition and its dependence on nematic elasticity and wedge geometry. Our combined work provides a simple method to estimate the splay-to-bend elasticity ratios of the virus and offers a way to control the position of defects through the confining boundary conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Oliver J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Dammone
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zacharoudiou
authors.forename: Roel P A
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Dullens
authors.forename: Julia M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Yeomans
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Lettinga
authors.forename: Dirk G A L
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Aarts
mesh_terms: D017104:Bacteriophage M13; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003102:Colloids; D004548:Elasticity; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D014771:Virion
chemical_list: D003102:Colloids