Directed self-assembly of liquid crystalline blue-phases into ideal single-crystals

Jose A. Martínez-González, Xiao Li, Monirosadat Sadati, Ye Zhou, Rui Zhang, Paul F. Nealey () and Juan J. de Pablo ()
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Jose A. Martínez-González: Institute for Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago
Xiao Li: Institute for Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago
Monirosadat Sadati: Institute for Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago
Ye Zhou: Institute for Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago
Rui Zhang: Institute for Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago
Paul F. Nealey: Institute for Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago
Juan J. de Pablo: Institute for Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Chiral nematic liquid crystals are known to form blue phases—liquid states of matter that exhibit ordered cubic arrangements of topological defects. Blue-phase specimens, however, are generally polycrystalline, consisting of randomly oriented domains that limit their performance in applications. A strategy that relies on nano-patterned substrates is presented here for preparation of stable, macroscopic single-crystal blue-phase materials. Different template designs are conceived to exert control over different planes of the blue-phase lattice orientation with respect to the underlying substrate. Experiments are then used to demonstrate that it is indeed possible to create stable single-crystal blue-phase domains with the desired orientation over large regions. These results provide a potential avenue to fully exploit the electro-optical properties of blue phases, which have been hindered by the existence of grain boundaries.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15854

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