biostudies-literatureUnknown13(1)Mur MSynthetic active matter is emerging as the prime route for the realisation of biological mechanisms such as locomotion, active mixing, and self-organisation in soft materials. In particular, passive nematic complex fluids are known to form out-of-equilibrium states with topological defects, but their locomotion, activation and experimental realization has been developed and understood to only a limited extent. Here, we report that the concentration-driven flow of small molecules triggers turbulent flow in the thin film of a nematic liquid crystal that continuously generates pairs of topological defects with an integer topological charge. The diffusion results in the formation of counter-rotating vortex rolls in the liquid crystal, which above a velocity threshold transform into a turbulentNature communications6855https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9652398biostudies-literatureContinuous generation of topological defects in a passively driven nematic liquid crystal.PMC9652398Mur MMusevic IKos ZRavnik MfalseContinuous generation of topological defects in a passively driven nematic liquid crystal.Synthetic active matter is emerging as the prime route for the realisation of biological mechanisms such as locomotion, active mixing, and self-organisation in soft materials. In particular, passive nematic complex fluids are known to form out-of-equilibrium states with topological defects, but their locomotion, activation and experimental realization has been developed and understood to only a limited extent. Here, we report that the concentration-driven flow of small molecules triggers turbulent flow in the thin film of a nematic liquid crystal that continuously generates pairs of topological defects with an integer topological charge. The diffusion results in the formation of counter-rotating vortex rolls in the liquid crystal, which above a velocity threshold transform into a turbulent2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Nov2025-04-25T23:27:53.467Z2025-04-06T09:21:22.938ZS-EPMC96523983636917110.1038/s41467-022-34384-5