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Energy Minimization in Nematic Liquid Crystal Systems Driven by Geometric Confinement and Temperature Gradients with Applications in Colloidal Systems

Kolacz, Jakub
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1448898699

Abstract Details

2015, PHD, Kent State University, College of Arts and Sciences / Chemical Physics.
We first explore the topology of liquid crystals and look at the fundamental limitations of liquid crystals in confined geometries. The properties of liquid crystal droplets are studied both theoretically and through simulations. We then demonstrate a method of chemically patterning surfaces that allows us to generate periodic arrays of micron-sized liquid crystal droplets and compare them to our simulation results. The parallelizable method of self-localizing liquid crystals using 2D chemical patterning developed here has applications in liquid crystal biosensors and lens arrays. We also present the first work looking at colloidal liquid crystals under the guise of thermophoresis. We observe that strong negative thermophoresis occurs in these systems and develop a theory based on elastic energy minimization. We also calculate a Soret coefficient two orders of magnitude larger than those present in the literature. This large Soret coefficient has considerable potential for improving thermophoretic sorting mechanisms such as Thermal-Field Flow Fractionation and MicroScale Thermophoresis. The final piece of this work demonstrates a method of using projection lithography to polymerize liquid crystal colloids with a defined internal director. While still a work in progress, there is potential for generating systems of active colloids that can change shape upon external stimulus and in the generation of self-folding shapes by selective polymerization and director predetermination in the vain of micro-kirigami.
Qi-Huo Wei, Dr (Advisor)
Antal Jakli, Dr (Committee Member)
Robin Selinger, Dr (Committee Member)
Elizabeth Mann, Dr (Committee Member)
Mietek Jaroniec, Dr (Committee Member)
179 p.
Chemistry; Computer Science; Condensed Matter Physics; Materials Science; Mathematics; Physics; Polymers
liquid crystals; confined geometry; topology; homotopy groups; nematic; droplet; self-assembled monolayers; micro-contact printing; thermophoresis; thermodiffusion; soret; colloid; liquid crystal polymers; kirigami; projection lithography; lovemonkey

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Kolacz, J. (2015). Energy Minimization in Nematic Liquid Crystal Systems Driven by Geometric Confinement and Temperature Gradients with Applications in Colloidal Systems [Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1448898699

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Kolacz, Jakub. Energy Minimization in Nematic Liquid Crystal Systems Driven by Geometric Confinement and Temperature Gradients with Applications in Colloidal Systems. 2015. Kent State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1448898699.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Kolacz, Jakub. "Energy Minimization in Nematic Liquid Crystal Systems Driven by Geometric Confinement and Temperature Gradients with Applications in Colloidal Systems." Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1448898699

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

kent1448898699
1,004
© 2015, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License Energy Minimization in Nematic Liquid Crystal Systems Driven by Geometric Confinement and Temperature Gradients with Applications in Colloidal Systems by Jakub Kolacz is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by Kent State University and OhioLINK.