Article
Chemistry, Physical
Varsha Jain, Golam Mohiuddin, Ajay Jain, Santosh Prasad Gupta, Santanu Kumar Pal
Summary: In this study, a new series of nonchiral bent-shaped compounds incorporating two imines and one ester linkage in the molecular framework were designed and synthesized. It was found that certain compounds exhibited a stable and significantly longer range of nematic phase, while others showed different anisotropic phases.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Sithara P. Sreenilayam, Neelam Yadav, Yuri P. Panarin, G. Shanker, Jagdish K. Vij
Summary: Experimental and theoretical investigations of the twist-bend nematic (N-TB) phase in liquid crystals have revealed its polar and chiral characteristics, as well as a large negative dielectric anisotropy, making it suitable for exploring field induced phases at lower field strengths. The orientational order parameter jumps at the N-N-TB transition temperature during the liquid crystal phase transition process.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Deepshika Malkar, Arun Roy
Summary: We discuss the liquid crystal phases of a compound consisting of bent-core hockey-stick-shaped molecules. The compound exhibits two smectic phases with an in-plane pseudo-polar order in addition to the tilt order in the layers. We have developed a simple phenomenological model to account for these phases. Additionally, a field-induced Freedericksz type transition is observed beyond a threshold electric field in the higher temperature smectic phase, and we also account for this transition using our theoretical model.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Shigemasa Nakasugi, Sungmin Kang, Tso-Fu Mark Chang, Takaaki Manaka, Hiroki Ishizaki, Masato Sone, Junji Watanabe
Summary: This study synthesized three kinds of bent-shaped dimeric molecules by fluorine substitution of C16 molecules and examined the influences of the substitution on polar smectic phases. The fluorine substitution resulted in decreased transition temperatures and faster switching rates, while also affecting molecular anchoring behavior and increasing the dipole moment of the molecules.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Piotr Kubala, Wojciech Tomczyk, Michal Ciesla
Summary: The impact of mesogens' shape on the formation of the liquid crystalline phase was studied through Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations. The results showed that the curvature and density of the molecules have a significant influence on the formation of different liquid crystalline phases.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Ju-Yong Kim, Jae-Jin Lee, Suk-Won Choi
Summary: This paper investigates a binary mixture system composed of achiral bent-core molecules and bent-core base main-chain polymers, and identifies an intriguing nanosegregated phase with significant structural chirality effect.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
E. Cruickshank, K. Anderson, J. M. D. Storey, C. T. Imrie, E. Gorecka, D. Pociecha, A. Makal, M. M. Majewska
Summary: This study reports the synthesis and characterization of a series of bent odd-membered mesogenic dimers. These materials exhibit a tendency to form helical structures and we report three chiral phases in a single homologous series for the first time.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ohjin Kwon, Xiaoqian Cai, Wentao Qu, Feng Liu, Jadwiga Szydlowska, Ewa Gorecka, Moon Jong Han, Dong Ki Yoon, Silvio Poppe, Carsten Tschierske
Summary: The study focuses on the design, synthesis, and investigation of multichain compounds based on pi-conjugated structures. The compounds exhibit unique liquid crystalline phases with varying network structures at different chain lengths, showcasing enhanced charge carrier mobility and non-dispersive charge transportation.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ewelina Dmochowska, Jakub Herman, Michal Czerwinski, Sergei Stulov, Alexej Bubnov, Przemyslaw Kula
Summary: The paper discusses the stabilisation and control of synclinic and anticlinic chiral liquid crystalline phases, presenting new chiral calamitic reactive mesogens designed to stabilize these phases in liquid crystalline mixtures. These compounds show a high tendency to form smectic phases and can be effective for stabilising ferroelectric and antiferroelectric phases in various states. Additionally, the thermal polymerisation of specific reactive mesogens can help reduce the drawbacks of polymer stabilisation.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Supreet Kaur, Vidhika Punjani, Neelam Yadav, Abinash Barthakur, Anshika Baghla, Surajit Dhara, Santanu Kumar Pal
Summary: A comprehensive review and outlook on bent-core liquid crystals, including advances in design and structure-property correlation, and future directions from chemical and physical perspectives.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hirotoshi Sakaino, Dirk J. Broer, Stefan C. J. Meskers, E. W. Meijer, Ghislaine Vantomme
Summary: Control over molecular motion is achieved by fabricating cholesteric liquid-crystal networks using circularly polarized light, without the need for chiral dopant or plasticizer. The resulting materials exhibit excellent thermal stability, reversible light-induced memory features, and the ability to fabricate photo-patterned films of liquid-crystal networks with opposite helical senses.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Shigemasa Nakasugi, Sungmin Kang, Tso-Fu Mark Chang, Hiroki Ishizaki, Masato Sone, Junji Watanabe
Summary: This study investigates the electric switching behaviors and dielectric properties of different phases formed by mixing bent-shaped dimeric molecules. The results reveal that the different phases exhibit distinct characteristics, such as threshold electric field and dielectric strength. The study also discovers an inverse proportional relationship between dielectric strength and switching threshold field in collective modes.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Shigemasa Nakasugi, Sungmin Kang, Tso-Fu Mark Chang, Hiroki Ishizaki, Masato Sone, Junji Watanabe
Summary: This study investigates the electric switching behaviors and dielectric properties of four different liquid crystal phases formed by mixing specific molecules. Each phase exhibits distinct characteristics, including collective or non-collective modes and varying dielectric strengths.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Stevie Brown, Ewan Cruickshank, John M. D. Storey, Corrie T. Imrie, Damian Pociecha, Magdalena Majewska, Anna Makal, Ewa Gorecka
Summary: This study reports liquid-crystal materials with up to three nematic phases, each exhibiting different properties such as ferroelectric order, apolar order, and local antiferroelectric order. The modification of molecular structure through increasing lateral fluorine substituents leads to a direct isotropic-ferronematic phase transition in one of the materials.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ramakrishna Kotni, Albert Grau-Carbonell, Massimiliano Chiappini, Marjolein Dijkstra, Alfons van Blaaderen
Summary: Liquid crystal phases are in-between solids and liquids, exhibiting long-range orientational order and flow properties, making them fundamental for optical applications. Researchers have discovered a previously elusive splay-bend nematic liquid crystal phase in a colloidal system of bent silica rods.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Matthias Lehmann, Maximilian Baumann, Martin Lambov, Alexey Eremin
Summary: The self-assembly of umbrella-shaped mesogens with subphthalocyanine cores and oligo(thienyl) arms of different lengths was explored for their application as light-harvesting and photoconducting materials. The molecules form liquid crystalline columns in polar columnar phases, showing broad absorption in the visible range but weak emission of the Q-band. This makes them attractive for use in the field of photoconductive materials.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Ralf Stannarius, Jonas Schulze
Summary: This study investigates the packing problem of crosses and examines the packing density achieved by random packing, as well as the local correlations of orientations and positions. The results suggest that there are typical local configurations that affect the orientational correlations.
Article
Plant Sciences
Alexander A. Bulychev, Alexey Eremin, Florian von Ruling, Anna Alova
Summary: The impact of membrane excitability on fluidic transport and cell-to-cell passage of photometabolites in plants was examined using pulse-modulated chlorophyll microfluorometry. It was found that the action potential temporarily disrupted metabolite transport and strongly inhibited intercellular transmission. Chloroplasts located in different cell regions showed functional distinctions, with an increase in chlorophyll fluorescence observed in chloroplasts near calcified zones.
Article
Crystallography
Torsten Trittel, Christoph Klopp, Kirsten Harth, Ralf Stannarius
Summary: Liquid-crystal columns were prepared and observed under microgravity conditions during suborbital rocket flights. The collapse of the columns was observed in the isotropic and nematic phases, but they survived in the smectic A and C mesophases due to the different yield stress of the material. The research provides important experimental data for understanding the behavior of liquid-crystal materials in microgravity.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jing Wang, Zohreh Farmani, Joshua A. Dijksman, Cindy Luebeck, Oliver Speck, Ralf Stannarius
Summary: We introduce a new Magnetic Resonance Imaging technique to study the geometry of shear zones of soft, low-frictional and hard, frictional granular materials and their mixtures. Our findings show that the shear zone geometry differs considerably between soft grains submersed in water and the same material without the embedding fluid.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Melvin Kuster, Frank Ludwig, Alexey Eremin, Patricija Hribar Bostjancic, Darja Lisjak, Nerea Sebastian, Alenka Mertelj, Hajnalka Nadasi
Summary: This study explores the magnetic dynamics of ferrimagnetic bariumhexaferrite nanoplatelets in the isotropic and nematic phases. The results show that a simple Debye-type mechanism cannot explain the dynamics, even in the low concentration isotropic regime.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2022)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Jing Wang, Kirsten Harth, Dmitry Puzyrev, Ralf Stannarius
Summary: This study investigates the discharge behavior of soft particles in the presence of an obstacle, finding that the obstacle reduces the flow rates and increases the clogging probabilities, contrary to the effect observed in pedestrian dynamics.
NEW JOURNAL OF PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Tivadar Pongo, Bo Fan, Dariel Hernandez-Delfin, Janos Torok, Ralf Stannarius, Raul Cruz Hidalgo, Tamas Borzsonyi
Summary: This study investigates the time evolution of silo discharge for different granular materials, including spherical and elongated grains, using laboratory experiments and discrete element model (DEM) calculations. It is found that spherical grains exhibit a constant discharge rate, while elongated particles show a peculiar flow rate increase for larger orifices before the end of the discharge process. Furthermore, the flow field is practically homogeneous for spherical grains but has strong gradients for elongated particles, with a fast-flowing region in the middle of the silo surrounded by a stagnant zone.
NEW JOURNAL OF PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Biophysics
Florian von Rueling, Anna Alova, Alexander Bulychev, Alexey Eremin
Summary: In this study, the role of advection and diffusion in intercellular transport was investigated using giant cells of characean algae as a model system. By utilizing fluorescent dye as a tracer, the permeation kinetics of the fluorophore through the plasmodesmata complex in the node of tandem cells and its distribution across the cell were examined. The results demonstrated that the plasmodesmal transport of the fluorescent probe through the central and peripheral cells of the nodal complex is differentially regulated by the physiological signal, the action potential.
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Mahdieh Mohammadi, Dmitry Puzyrev, Torsten Trittel, Ralf Stannarius
Summary: This study demonstrates that nonconvex grain shapes can lead to qualitatively novel macroscopic dynamics, different from convex grains. Hexapod grains at the surface migrate towards the rotation center and sink, mimicking a reverse Weissenberg effect. The observed surface flow field suggests a radial outward flow in the depth of the granular bed, forming a convection cell.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Evangelia Zavvou, Melanie Klasen-Memmer, Atsutaka Manabe, Matthias Bremer, Alexey Eremin
Summary: Explored the polar and mechanical properties of a room-temperature ferroelectric nematic and found that it is less susceptible to splay deformation, which can be attributed to the electrostatic self-interaction of polarisation.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Alexey Eremin, Ahmad Murad, Mohamed Alaasar
Summary: We report an unusually strong flow-induced birefringence in the optically isotropic cubic phase Iso(1)[*] formed by a low-molecular-weight polycatenar mesogen. The transition into the birefringent state occurs without threshold and the induced birefringence is comparable to that observed in polymeric systems. The flow-induced deformation of the cubic structure is suggested to be responsible for the strong rheo-optical response.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alexey Eremin, Hajnalka Nadasi, Ralf Stannarius
Summary: Interactions between magnetic nanoparticles and an anisotropic environment lead to new magneto-optical, rheological, and mechanical phenomena, providing opportunities for developing novel multifunctional materials.
PHYSICAL SCIENCES REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Amine Missaoui, Kirsten Harth, Torsten Trittel, Christoph Klopp, Ralf Stannarius, Emmanuelle Lacaze
Summary: This study reports the wrinkling and bulging phenomenon of thin freely floating films of smectic liquid crystals under rapid compression in-plane. Different patterns, including specifically shaped bulges, radial wrinkles, and target-like wrinkle structures, were observed depending on the external stress and dimensions of the films. These patterns disappear reversibly when the external stress is relaxed.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yiping Yin, Zhe Wang, Hua Zou
Summary: This study presents a novel method for preparing dimpled polymer-silica nanocomposite particles using interfacial swelling-based seeded polymerization. The optimized conditions allow for a relatively high percentage of dimpled particles to be achieved.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Brenden D. Hoehn, Elizabeth A. Kellstedt, Marc A. Hillmyer
Summary: Porous materials with nanometer-scale pores have important applications as nanoporous membranes. In this study, ABA triblock copolymers were used as precursors to produce nanoporous polymeric membranes (NPMs) in thin film form by degrading the end blocks. Polycyclooctene (PCOE) NPMs with tunable pore sizes were successfully prepared using solvent casting technique. Oxygen plasma etching was employed to improve the surface porosity and hydrophilicity of the membranes. This study provides a straightforward method to produce tough NPMs with high porosity and hydrophilic surface properties.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Vladislav S. Petrovskii, Stepan I. Zholudev, Igor I. Potemkin
Summary: This article investigates the behavior of linear and ring polypeptide chains in aqueous solution and explores the properties of the complexes formed by these chains with oppositely charged surfactants. The results demonstrate that the complexes of linear supercharged unfolded polypeptides and the corresponding surfactants exhibit impressive adhesive properties.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Merve Cevik, Serkan Dikici
Summary: Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death globally, and vascular grafts are a promising treatment option. This study focuses on tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs) using decellularized parsley stems as a potential biomaterial. The decellularized parsley stems showed suitable properties for TEVGs, providing a suitable environment for human endothelial cells to form a pseudo endothelium. This study showcases the potential of using parsley stems for TEVGs.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Gustavo A. Vasquez-Montoya, Tadej Emersic, Noe Atzin, Antonio Tavera-Vazquez, Ali Mozaffari, Rui Zhang, Orlando Guzman, Alexey Snezhko, Paul F. Nealey, Juan J. de Pablo
Summary: The optical properties of liquid crystals are typically controlled by electric fields. In this study, we investigate the effects of microfluidic flows and acoustic fields on the molecular orientation and optical response of nematic liquid crystals. We identify several previously unknown structures and explain them through calculations and simulations. These findings hold promise for the development of new systems combining sound, flow, and confinement.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xinjun Wu, Xin Guan, Shushu Chen, Jiangpeng Jia, Chongyi Chen, Jiawei Zhang, Chuanzhuang Zhao
Summary: This research presents a novel shape memory hydrogel with a remodelable permanent shape and programmable cold-induced shape recovery behavior. The hydrogel is prepared using specific treatment methods to achieve shape fixation by heating and shape recovery by cooling. Additionally, deformable devices can be obtained by assembling hydrogel blocks with different concentrations.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Rebecca Hengsbach, Gerhard Fink, Ulrich Simon
Summary: This study examines the properties of DNA functionalized pNipmam microgels and pure pNipmam microgels at different concentrations of sodium chloride and in PBS solutions using temperature dependent H-1-NMR measurements. The results show that DNA modification affects the volume phase transition temperature and the addition of salt and PBS further enhances this effect.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ningyi Li, Junhong Li, Lijingting Qing, Shicheng Ma, Yao Li, Baohui Li
Summary: This paper investigates the self-assembly behavior of colloids with competing interactions under spherical confinement and finds that different ordered structures can be formed under different sized spherical confinements. Moreover, more perforated structures are formed in smaller spheres.
