Spindle-shaped nematic droplets (tactoids) form in solutions of rod-like molecules at the onset of the liquid crystalline phase. Their unique shape and internal structure result from the interplay of the elastic deformation of the nematic and anisotropic surface forces. The balance of these forces dictates that tactoids must display a continuous variation in aspect ratio and director-field configuration. Yet, such continuous transition has eluded observation for decades: tactoids have displayed either a bipolar configuration with particles aligned parallel to the droplet interface or a homogeneous configuration with particles aligned parallel to the long axis of the tactoid. Here, we report the first observation of the continuous transition in shape and director-field configuration of tactoids in true solutions of carbon nanotubes in chlorosulfonic acid. This observation is possible because the exceptional length of carbon nanotubes shifts the transition to a size range that can be visualized by optical microscopy. Polarization micrographs yield the interfacial and elastic properties of the system. Absorbance anisotropy measurements provide the highest nematic order parameter (S = 0.79) measured to date for a nematic phase of carbon nanotubes at coexistence with its isotropic phase.

The motion of nanoparticles near surfaces is of fundamental importance in physics, biology, and chemistry. Liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (LCTEM) is a promising technique for studying motion of nanoparticles with high spatial resolution. Yet, the lack of understanding of how the electron beam of the microscope affects the particle motion has held back advancement in using LCTEM for in situ single nanoparticle and macromolecule tracking at interfaces. Here, we experimentally studied the motion of a model system of gold nanoparticles dispersed in water and moving adjacent to the silicon nitride membrane of a commercial LC in a broad range of electron beam dose rates. We find that the nanoparticles exhibit anomalous diffusive behavior modulated by the electron beam dose rate. We characterized the anomalous diffusion of nanoparticles in LCTEM using a convolutional deep neural-network model and canonical statistical tests. The results demonstrate that the nanoparticle motion is governed by fractional Brownian motion at low dose rates, resembling diffusion in a viscoelastic medium, and continuous-time random walk at high dose rates, resembling diffusion on an energy landscape with pinning sites. Both behaviors can be explained by the presence of silanol molecular species on the surface of the silicon nitride membrane and the ionic species in solution formed by radiolysis of water in presence of the electron beam.

In this study, we apply a simple but effective oxidative purification method to purify carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers synthesized via a floating catalyst technique. After the purification treatment, the resulting CNT fibers exhibited significant improvements in mechanical and electrical properties with an increase in strength, Young's modulus, and electrical conductivity by approximately 81, 230, and 100%, respectively. With the successful dissolution of the CNT fibers in superacid, an extensional viscosity method could be applied to measure the aspect ratio of the CNTs constituting the fibers, whereas high-purity CNT thin films could be produced with a low resistance of 720 Ω/sq at a transmittance of 85%. This work suggests that the oxidative purification approach and dissolution process are promising methods to improve the purity and performance of CNT macroscopic structures.

Line tension, i.e., the force on a three-phase contact line, has been a subject of extensive research due to its impact on technological applications including nanolithography and nanofluidics. However, there is no consensus on the sign and magnitude of the line tension, mainly because it only affects the shape of small droplets, below the length scale dictated by the ratio of line tension to surface tension σ/τ. This ratio is related to the size of constitutive molecules in the system, which translates to a nanometer for conventional fluids. Here, we show that this ratio is orders of magnitude larger in lyotropic liquid crystal systems comprising micrometer-long colloidal particles. Such systems are known to form spindle-shaped elongated liquid crystal droplets in coexistence with the isotropic phase, with the droplets flattening when in contact with flat solid surfaces. We propose a method to characterize the line tension by fitting measured droplet shape to a macroscopic theoretical model that incorporates interfacial forces and elastic deformation of the nematic phase. By applying this method to hundreds of droplets of carbon nanotubes dissolved in chlorosulfonic acid, we find that σ/τ ∼ -0.84 ± 0.06 μm. This ratio is 2 orders of magnitude larger than what has been reported for conventional fluids, in agreement with theoretical scaling arguments.

Active fibers with electro-optic functionalities are promising building blocks for the emerging and rapidly growing field of fiber and textile electronics. Yet, there remains significant challenges that require improved understanding of the principles of active fiber assembly to enable the development of fiber-shaped devices characterized by having a small diameter, being lightweight, and having high mechanical strength. To this end, the current frameworks are insufficient, and new designs and fabrication approaches are essential to accommodate this unconventional form factor. Here, we present a first demonstration of a pathway that effectively integrates the foundational components meeting such requirements, with the use of a flexible and robust conductive core carbon nanotube fiber and an organic–inorganic emissive composite layer as the two critical elements. We introduce an active fiber design that can be realized through an all solution-processed approach. We have implemented this technique to demonstrate a three-layered light-emitting fiber with a coaxially coated design.