Lyotropic nematic liquid crystals: interplay between a small twist elastic constant and chirality effects under confined geometries

There are two classes of liquid crystals (LCs): Thermotropic LCs where the organic molecule represents anisotropically shaped mesogen and lyotropic LCs, mesogens non-spherical supramolecular assemblies dispersed in a solvent. Various kinds nematic (LLCs) exist, differing shape composition aggregates: Chromonic, polymeric or micellar LLCs.However, LLCs most ubiquitous kind LLCs, occurring soaps biological systems. Although these lyotropics so different, they exhibit – contrary to thermotropic nematics spontaneous reflection symmetry breaking under confinement. We discuss mirror capillary confinement for standard ND phase give detailed director field structure twisted polar configuration. Furthermore, we measure first time complete set viscoelastic properties LLC, finding small twist elastic constant K22, which is at least one order magnitude smaller than K11 K33. As demonstrated by following work, K22 therefore rather rule exception constitutes unique difference between typical nematics, well-known one-constant approximation holds.Abbreviations: LC: Liquid Crystal; LLC: Lyotropic crystal; TER: escaped radial configuration; TP: nˆ: director; K11: splay phase; K22: K33: bend s: strength defect/disclination; ER: CDEAB: N,N-ethylhexadecylammonium bromide; DOH: decan-1-ol; ND: disk-shaped building blocks; NC: rod-shaped H-field: magnetic field; PR: planar PP: RR: right handed handed; LL: left RL: LR: handed.