Chiral nematic liquid crystals are known to form blue phases-liquid states of matter that exhibit ordered cubic arrangements topological defects. Blue-phase specimens, however, generally polycrystalline, consisting randomly oriented domains limit their performance in applications. A strategy relies on nano-patterned substrates is presented here for preparation stable, macroscopic single-crystal blue-phase materials. Different template designs conceived exert control over different planes the...

Liquid crystals (LCs) can serve as sensitive reporters of interfacial events, and this property has been used for sensing synthetic or biological toxins. Here it is demonstrated that LCs distinguish distinct molecular motifs exhibit a specific response to beta‐sheet structures. That detect the formation highly toxic protofibrils involved in neurodegenerative diseases, where crucial develop methods probe early‐stage aggregation amyloidogenic peptides vicinity membranes. In proposed method,...

Confinement of cholesteric liquid crystals (ChLC) into droplets leads to a delicate interplay between elasticity, chirality, and surface energy. In this work, we rely on combination theory experiments understand the rich morphological behavior that arises from balance. More specifically, systematic study micrometer-sized ChLC is presented as function chirality energy (or anchoring). With increasing continuous transition observed twisted bipolar structure radial spherical structure, all...

Significance Blue phases represent distinct liquid states of matter having a high viscosity, finite shear modulus, and Bragg reflections in the visible spectrum. These properties arise from highly ordered defect structure, unique amongst complex liquids, which is stable only over narrow range temperature. The number characteristics corresponding unit cells could principle be altered by confinement. In this work we show that stability blue can increased preparing them into small droplets. We...

Liquid-crystal blue phases (BPs) are highly ordered at two levels. Molecules exhibit orientational order nanometer length scales, while chirality leads to arrays of double-twisted cylinders over micrometer scales. Past studies polycrystalline BPs were challenged by the existence grain boundaries between randomly oriented crystalline nanodomains. Here, nucleation is controlled with precision relying on chemically nanopatterned surfaces, leading macroscopic single-crystal BP specimens where...

Abstract Blue phases (BPs), formed through the self‐assembly of chiral liquid crystal molecules into 3D nanolattices with cubic symmetries, exhibit dynamic photonic bandgaps in visible spectrum, offering transformative opportunities for advanced optical circuits, sensing and communication technologies. However, their thermal stability is restricted to a narrow temperature range (0.5–1.0 K), limiting practical applications. Polymer stabilization bulk BPs has extended but often compromises...

Cubosomes formed from blue phase liquid crystals (BPs) dispersed in aqueous media exhibit optical responses to biological amphiphiles. In this study, the formation of dispersions BPs is reported, and effects confinement lipids on behavior, appearance, morphology BP droplets are characterized. As a service our authors readers, journal provides supporting information supplied by authors. Such materials peer reviewed may be re-organized for online delivery, but not copy-edited or typeset....

Mechanical strain, curvature, and elasticity lead to the emergence of exotic molecular configurations in chiral liquid crystals.

Liquid crystal blue phases (BPs) are three-dimensional soft crystals with unit cell sizes orders of magnitude larger than those classic, atomic crystals. The directed self-assembly BPs on chemically patterned surfaces uniquely enables detailed in situ resonant x-ray scattering measurements martensitic phase transformations these systems. formation twin lamellae is explicitly identified during the BPII-to-BPI transformation, further corroborating nature this transformation and broadening...

Chemically patterned surfaces can be used to selectively stabilize blue phases as macroscopic single crystals with a prescribed lattice orientation. By tailoring the interfacial free energy through pattern characteristics, it is possible set, nanoscale precision, optimal conditions induce spontaneously blue-phase crystal nucleation on substrate where uniform, defect-free, finally formed in matter of seconds. The chemical patterns taken into consideration this work are made up alternated...

In exploiting topological defects of liquid crystals as the targeting sites for trapping colloidal objects, previous work has relied on topographic features with uniform anchoring to create defects, achieving limited density and spacing particles. We report a generalizable strategy chemically patterned surfaces assemble particles in precisely defined locations tunable interparticle distance at nanoscale dimensions. Informed by experimental observations numerical simulations that indicate...

Soft heteroepitaxy can produce sculpted grain boundaries with molded liquid-liquid interfaces and distortion-free soft crystals.

We report on the internal configurations of droplets nematic liquid crystals (LCs; 10-50 μm-in-diameter; comprised 4-cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl and 4-(3-acryloyloxypropyloxy)benzoic acid 2-methyl-1,4-phenylene ester) sedimented from aqueous solutions sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) onto interfaces formed with pure glycerol. observed a family LC droplet topological defects consistent remarkably abrupt transition homeotropic (perpendicular) to tangential anchoring surface in interfacial environment....

The morphology and through-film optical properties of nematic liquid crystals (LCs) confined between two surfaces may be engineered to create switches that respond external electric fields, thereby enabling applications in optoelectronics require fast responses low power. Interfacial the confining LC play a central role device design performance. Here we investigate LCs hybrid cells with top surface exhibits uniform homeotropic anchoring bottom is chemically patterned sub-micron micron- wide...

Liquid crystals are important components of optical technologies. Cuboidal consisting chiral liquid crystals-the so-called blue phases (BPs), particular interest due to their crystalline structures and fast response times, but it is critical that control be gained over phase behavior as well the underlying dislocations grain boundaries arise in such systems. Blue exhibit cubic symmetries with lattice parameters 100 nm range a network disclination lines can polymerized widen temperatures...

Abstract Blue phases (BPs) are soft and stimuli‐responsive photonic crystals that interesting for sensing, display, lasing applications. Polycrystallinity has, however, limited both the study applicability of BPs. Continuum simulations, which lack molecule‐specific details, predict striped chemical patterns, consisting alternating homeotropic planar regions, can be used to nucleate single Here it is experimentally demonstrated that, independent chemistry complexity BP forming material,...

We report on the influence of surface confinement phase behavior and strain-induced alignment thin films blue liquid crystals (BPs). Confining surfaces comprised bare glass, dimethyloctadecyl [3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl] ammonium chloride (DMOAP)-functionalized or polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-coated glass were used with without mechanically rubbing to azimuthal anchoring BPs. These experiments reveal that can change BP films. For example, in performed rubbed-PVA surfaces, we measured elastic...

Liquid crystalline (LC) materials, such as actin or tubulin networks, are known to be capable of deforming the shape cells. Here, elements that behavior reproduced in a synthetic system, namely, giant vesicle suspended LC, which we view first step toward preparation active, anisotropic hybrid systems mimic some functionality encountered biological systems. To end, rely on coupled particle-continuum representation deformable networks nematic LC represented at level Landau-de Gennes free...

A vibrating version of patchy particles in two dimensions is introduced to study self-assembly kagome lattices, disordered networks looping structures, and linear arrays.

We report on the internal configurations of aqueous dispersions droplets cholesteric liquid crystals (LCs; 5-50 μm-in-diameter; comprised 4-cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl and 4-(1-methylheptyloxycarbonyl)phenyl-4-hexyloxybenzoate) their influence positioning surface-adsorbed colloids (0.2 or 1 μm-in-diameter polystyrene (PS)). When N = 2D/P was less than 4, where D is droplet diameter P pitch, adopted a twisted bipolar structure (TBS) were observed to assume positions at either poles equator...

Many crystallization processes, including biomineralization and ice-freezing, occur in small curved volumes, where surface curvature can strain the crystal, leading to unusual configurations defect formation. The role of on crystallization, however, remains poorly understood. Here, we study blue phase (BP) liquid crystals under confinement, which provides insights into mechanism by BPs reconfigure their three-dimensional lattice structure adapt curvature. are a assembly high-chirality...

There is considerable interest in understanding and controlling topological defects nematic liquid crystals (LCs). Confinement, the form of droplets, has been particularly effective that regard. Here, we employ a Landau-de Gennes formalism to explore geometrical frustration order shell geometries, focus on chiral materials. By varying chirality thickness uniform shells, construct phase diagram includes tetravalent structures, bipolar structures (BS), bent radial spherical (RSS). It found...

Designing simple, sensitive, fast, and inexpensive readout devices to detect biological molecules biomarkers is crucial for early diagnosis treatments. Here, we have studied the interaction of chiral liquid crystal (CLC) biomolecules at (LC)-droplet interface. CLC droplets with high low chirality were prepared using a microfluidic device. We explored reconfiguration confined in presence 1,2-diauroyl-sn-glycero3-phosphatidylcholine (DLPC) phospholipid. Cross-polarized optical microscopy...

Spontaneously deformed nematic and antiferroelectric smectic structures have been detected in a two-dimensional system of hard banana-shaped needles by means Monte Carlo simulation Onsager theory. The spatially non-uniform consists orientationally ordered polar domains, where the director displays mainly bended patterns. net polarization is zero. theory shows that bent-core structure particles favours bend deformation due to free energy reducing torque, while splay results cost. With...