Charge-, salt- and flexoelectricity-driven anchoring effects in nematics

Everts, Jeffrey Christopher (avtor), Ravnik, Miha (avtor)

We investigate the effects of electric double layers and flexoelectricity on the surface anchoring in general nematic fluids. Within a simplified model, we demonstrate for a nematic electrolyte how the surface anchoring strength can be affected by the surface charge, bulk ion concentration and/or flexoelectricity, effectively changing not only the magnitude of the anchoring but also the anchoring type, such as from planar to tilted. In particular, we envisage possible tuning of the anchoring strength by the salt concentration in the regime where sufficiently strong electrostatic anchoring, as controlled by the (screened) surface charge, can compete with the non-electrostatic anchoring. This effect is driven by the competing energetic-torque couplings between nematic director and the emergent electrostatic potential, due to surface charge, ions and flexoelectricity. Our findings propose a way of influencing surface anchoring by using electrostatic effects, which could be used in various aspects, including in the self-assembly of colloidal particles in nematic fluids, optical and display patterns, and sensing.

• Jezik: Angleški jezik
• Ključne besede: nematic fluids, electrostatics, electric double layer, flexoelectricity, surface anchoring
• Tipologija: 1.01 - Izvirni znanstveni članek
• Organizacija: FMF - Fakulteta za matematiko in fiziko
• Status publikacije: Objavljeno
• Različica publikacije: Recenzirani rokopis
• Leto izida: 2021
• Št. strani: Str. 423-435
• Številčenje: Vol. 48, iss. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-117365
• UDK: 544.6/.7
• ISSN pri članku: 0267-8292
• DOI: 10.1080/02678292.2020.1786176
• COBISS.SI-ID: 21920003
• Datum objave v RUL: 08.07.2020

Gradivo je del revije

• Naslov: Liquid crystals
• Skrajšan naslov: Liq. cryst.
• Založnik: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 0267-8292
• COBISS.SI-ID: 1690628

Sekundarni jezik

• Jezik: Slovenski jezik
• Ključne besede: nematske tekočine, elektrostatika, električna dvojna plast, fleksoelektričnost, površinsko sidranje