Splay-bend nematic phases of bent colloidal silica rods induced by polydispersity

Ramakrishna Kotni, Albert Grau-Carbonell, Massimiliano Chiappini, Marjolein Dijkstra () and Alfons Blaaderen ()
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Ramakrishna Kotni: Utrecht University
Albert Grau-Carbonell: Utrecht University
Massimiliano Chiappini: Utrecht University
Marjolein Dijkstra: Utrecht University
Alfons Blaaderen: Utrecht University

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Liquid crystal (LC) phases are in between solids and liquids with properties of both. Nematic LCs composed of rod-like molecules or particles exhibit long-range orientational order, yielding characteristic birefringence, but they lack positional order, allowing them to flow like a liquid. This combination of properties as well as their sensitivity to external fields make nematic LCs fundamental for optical applications e.g. liquid crystal displays (LCDs). When rod-like particles become bent, spontaneous bend deformations arise in the LC, leading to geometric frustration which can be resolved by complementary twist or splay deformations forming intriguing twist-bend (NTB) and splay-bend (NSB) nematic phases. Here, we show experimentally that the elusive NSB phases can be stabilized in systems of polydisperse micron-sized bent silica rods. Our results open avenues for the realization of NTB and NSB phases of colloidal and molecular LCs.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34658-y

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