Colloidal cholesteric liquid crystal in spherical confinement

Yunfeng Li, Jeffrey Jun-Yan Suen, Elisabeth Prince, Egor M. Larin, Anna Klinkova, Héloïse Thérien-Aubin, Shoujun Zhu, Bai Yang, Amr S. Helmy, Oleg D. Lavrentovich () and Eugenia Kumacheva ()
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Yunfeng Li: University of Toronto
Jeffrey Jun-Yan Suen: University of Toronto
Elisabeth Prince: University of Toronto
Egor M. Larin: University of Toronto
Anna Klinkova: University of Toronto
Héloïse Thérien-Aubin: University of Toronto
Shoujun Zhu: State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University
Bai Yang: State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University
Amr S. Helmy: University of Toronto
Oleg D. Lavrentovich: Liquid Crystal Institute and Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program, Kent State University
Eugenia Kumacheva: University of Toronto

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract The organization of nanoparticles in constrained geometries is an area of fundamental and practical importance. Spherical confinement of nanocolloids leads to new modes of packing, self-assembly, phase separation and relaxation of colloidal liquids; however, it remains an unexplored area of research for colloidal liquid crystals. Here we report the organization of cholesteric liquid crystal formed by nanorods in spherical droplets. For cholesteric suspensions of cellulose nanocrystals, with progressive confinement, we observe phase separation into a micrometer-size isotropic droplet core and a cholesteric shell formed by concentric nanocrystal layers. Further confinement results in a transition to a bipolar planar cholesteric morphology. The distribution of polymer, metal, carbon or metal oxide nanoparticles in the droplets is governed by the nanoparticle size and yields cholesteric droplets exhibiting fluorescence, plasmonic properties and magnetic actuation. This work advances our understanding of how the interplay of order, confinement and topological defects affects the morphology of soft matter.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12520

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