Surface and disorder effects in aerosil dispersed liquid crystals

Anisotropic sol–gel transition and morphological aspects of a hierarchical network of nematic gel and a superimposed photopolymer

“…Several studies involving the structural, [1][2][3] morphological, optical, electro-optic, and dielectric properties of liquid crystals (LCs) confined in pre-fabricated or in situ created scaffolds have brought to fore the importance of restricted geometry in anisotropic condensed matter systems. [4][5][6][7][8][9] In this regard, networks created by dopants, such as polymerizable monomers and gelators, have been studied considerably. Physical gels that combine the anisotropic character of LCs and the mechanical rigidity of the thermoreversible network have been reported to present significant consequences on the LC-gel (LCG) properties, faster electro-optic response, anomalous variations in elastic constants, enhanced photoluminescence, and applications in soft robotics and flexible displays.…”

Anisotropic dynamics of the tenuous gel in a liquid crystal–nanoparticle composite

“…3 Fumed-silica nanoparticles are an important case; they have relatively strong direct attractions giving rise to a subtle interplay between a soft and tenuous gel and a partially ordered fluid. 4,5 The consequences of the particles for the liquid crystalline ordering and associated phase transitions have been explored in some detail; [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] the static and dynamic behaviour of the particles has received far less attention. For samples with slow dynamics, which are opaque to visible light and contain constituents with high electron-density contrast, a powerful approach is X-ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy (XPCS) using a chargecoupled detection device (CCD) as a two-dimensional detector.…”