Self-Assembly of an Equimolar Mixture of Liquid Crystals and Magnetic Nanoparticles

We studied the equilibrium self-assembly of an equimolar mixture uniaxial liquid crystals (LCs) and magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) using molecular dynamics simulations. The LCs are modeled by ellipsoids interacting via Gay–Berne potential, MNPs represented dipolar soft spheres (DSS). found that show isotropic, nematic, smectic phases when is compressed at a fixed temperature. DSS form chain-like structures, which remain randomly oriented low densities where in isotropic phase. At intermediate high densities, chains align along nematic directors LCs. inside chain follow ferromagnetic ordering. However, does not significant macroscopic magnetization. extent order remains very similar to densities. have lower than structure LC–DSS was further analyzed projected pair correlation functions for distances parallel perpendicular phases.