Density functional approach was used to study the isotropic- nematic (I-N) transition and calculate the values of freezing parameters of the Gay- Berne liquid crystal model. New direct and pair correlation functions of a molecular fluid with Gay- Berne pair potential were used. These new functions were used in density functional theory as input to calculate the isotropic- nematic transition den...

A unique feature of nematic liquid crystals is orientational order of molecules that can be controlled by electromagnetic fields, surface modifications and pressure gradients. Here we demonstrate a new effect in which the orientation of nematic liquid crystal molecules is altered by thermal expansion. Thermal expansion (or contraction) causes the nematic liquid crystal to flow; the flow imposes...

The construction of liquid crystal compositions consisting of the dimeric liquid crystal, CB_C9_CB (cyanobiphenyl dimer = 1'',9''-bis(4-cyanobiphenyl-4'-yl)nonane), and the range of nematic systems is explored. The materials include a laterally functionalized monomer, which was used to construct a phase diagram with CB_C9_CB, as well as one laterally linked dimer liquid crystal material and two...

We propose a new theoretical scheme for the binary phase diagrams of crystal-liquid crystal mixtures by a combination of a phase field model of solidification, the Flory-Huggins theory for liquid-liquid mixing and Maier-Saupe-McMillan (FH-MSM) model for nematic and smectic liquid crystal orderings. The phase field theory describes the crystal phase transition of anisotropic organic crystal and/...

This article provides a concise review of a new state of colloidal matter called nematic liquid-crystal colloids. These colloids are obtained by dispersing microparticles of different shapes in a nematic liquid crystal that acts as a solvent for the dispersed particles. The microparticles induce a local deformation of the liquid crystal, which then generates topological defects and long-range f...

As described in the previous chapter, the nematic (N) liquid crystal is characterised by a long range orientational order of the long axes of the molecules without a long range positional order of their centres of mass (see section 1.2.1, chapter-1). The preferred axis of orientation in the nematic liquid crystal, called the director, is represented by the unit vector n ^ . The extent of orient...

Addition of a low concentration of a very long (430 kg/mol) side group liquid crystal polymer is shown to produce dramatic changes in the flow characteristics of a calamitic nematic liquid crystal. This polymer causes a typical flow-aligning nematic liquid crystal to align near the velocity gradient direction rather than near the velocity direction, corresponding to having a tumbling parameter ...

Liquid crystal suspensions including variousmicroand nano-colloidal particles have recently been received great attention for many practical applications such as nanosensors and devices, etc. When large colloidal particles of micronscale are dispersed in a uniform nematic liquid crystal phase, the colloidal particles disturb a long-range orientational order of the nematic phase. For a strong an...