A small-angle X-ray scattering study of nanoparticle assembly in an aligned nematic liquid crystal

DOI: 10.1080/02678292.2014.950618

Authors: James E. Hallett (University of Bristol) , Dominic W. Hayward (University of Bristol) , Paul Bartlett (University of Bristol) , Robert M. Richardson (University of Bristol)
Co-authored by industrial partner: No

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Liquid Crystals , VOL 41 (12) , PAGES 1791 - 1802

State: Published (Approved)
Published: August 2014
Diamond Proposal Number(s): 8982

Abstract: The assembly of colloidal particles in a nematic liquid crystal has been investigated using small-angle X-ray scattering. The structure and orientation of nanoparticle assemblies in bulk samples of aligned nematic liquid crystal have been determined. The method offers some advantages over optical microscopy, which is usually restricted to investigations of thin cells and micron-sized particles. The scattering from chains of particles has been calculated, and comparison with experimental results has shown that suspensions of 48 and 105 nm diameter silica nanoparticles formed highly ordered structures perpendicular to the liquid crystal director, consistent with quadrupolar defect-induced assembly.

Journal Keywords: small-angle X-ray scattering; alignment; defects; liquid crystal; nanoparticles

Subject Areas: Materials, Chemistry, Technique Development


Instruments: I22-Small angle scattering & Diffraction

Added On: 04/02/2015 14:07

Discipline Tags:

Technique Development - Materials Science Chemistry Materials Science Nanoscience/Nanotechnology

Technical Tags:

Scattering Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS)