The design and investigation of nanocomposites containing dimeric nematogens and liquid crystal gold nanoparticles with plasmonic properties showing a nematic-nematic phase transition (Nᵤ-Nₓ/Ntb)

Tamba, Maria-Gabriela; Yu, Chih Hao; Tang, Bai Jia; Welch, Christopher; Kohlmeier, Alexandra; Schubert, Christopher P.; Mehl, Georg H.

Abstract

The construction of liquid crystal compositions consisting of the dimeric liquid crystal, CB_C9_CB (cyanobiphenyl dimer = 1",9"-bis(4-cyanobiphenyl-4'-yl)nonane), and the range of nematic systems is explored. The materials include a laterally functionalized monomer, which was used to construct a phase diagram with CB_C9_CB, as well as one laterally linked dimer liquid crystal material and two liquid crystal gold nanoparticle (LC-Au-NPs) systems. For the Au-NP-LCs, the NP diameters were varied between ~3.3 nm and 10 nm. Stable mixtures that exhibit a nematic-nematic phase transition are reported and were investigated by POM (polarizing optical microscopy), DSC (differential scanning calorimetry) and X-ray diffraction studies.

Citation

Tamba, M.-G., Yu, C. H., Tang, B. J., Welch, C., Kohlmeier, A., Schubert, C. P., & Mehl, G. H. (2014). The design and investigation of nanocomposites containing dimeric nematogens and liquid crystal gold nanoparticles with plasmonic properties showing a nematic-nematic phase transition (Nᵤ-Nₓ/Ntb). Materials, 7(5), 3494-3511. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma7053494

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 17, 2014
• Online Publication Date: Apr 30, 2014
• Publication Date: 2014-04
• Deposit Date: Dec 24, 2015
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 23, 2017
• Journal: Materials
• Electronic ISSN: 1996-1944
• Publisher: MDPI
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 7
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 3494-3511
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ma7053494
• Keywords: Nanocomposite, Liquid crystal, Nematic-nematic, Phase diagram, Dimer, Siloxane, Mixtures, Nanoparticles, Plasmonic, Gold
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/383609
• Publisher URL: http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/7/5/3494
• Additional Information: This is an open access article published in Materials, 2014, v.7 issue 5.
• Contract Date: Nov 23, 2017