Molecular heterogeneity drives reconfigurable nematic liquid crystal drops.

ABSTRACT: With few exceptions^1-3, polydispersity or molecular heterogeneity in matter tends to impede self-assembly and state transformation. For example, shape transformations of liquid droplets with monodisperse ingredients have been reported in equilibrium^4-7 and non-equilibrium studies^8,9, and these transition phenomena were understood on the basis of homogeneous material responses. Here, by contrast, we study equilibrium suspensions of drops composed of polydisperse nematic liquid crystal oligomers (NLCOs). Surprisingly, molecular heterogeneity in the polydisperse drops promotes reversible shape transitions to a rich variety of non-spherical morphologies with unique internal structure. We find that variation of oligomer chain length distribution, temperature, an

SUBMITTER: Wei WS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6927531 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature