Pattern-Directed Ordering of Spin-Dewetted Liquid Crystal Micro- or Nanodroplets as Pixelated Light Reflectors and Locomotives

• DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b12182
• Publication Date: 2016-11-29T13:56:22Z
• Authors: Bolleddu Ravi; Snigdha Chakraborty; Mitradip Bhattach...; Shirsendu Mitra; Abir Ghosh; Partho Sarathi Go...; Dipankar Bandyopa...
• Keywords: Dewetting

Chemical pattern directed spin-dewetting of a macroscopic droplet composed dilute organic solution liquid crystal (LC) formed an ordered array micro- and nanoscale LC droplets. Controlled evaporation the spin-dewetted droplets through vacuum drying could further miniaturize size to level ∼90 nm. The size, periodicity, spacing these mesoscale be tuned with variations in initial loading solution, strength centripetal force on droplet, duration evaporation. A simple theoretical model was developed predict between patterned showed reversible phase transition from nematic isotropic vice versa periodic exposure solvent vapor its removal. similar behavior also observed increase or reduction temperature, suggesting their usefulness as temperature sensors. Interestingly, when were confined pair electrodes external electric field applied, situated at hydrophobic patches light-reflecting properties under polarization microscopy highlighting importance development displays. digitized droplets, which stationary otherwise, dielectrophoretic locomotion guidance beyond threshold intensity field. Remarkably, motion restricted hydrophilic zones, chemically surface. findings significantly contribute futuristic sensors, light reflectors, self-propellers using