Introduction to colloidal and microfluidic nematic microstructures

Čopar, Simon (author), Ravnik, Miha (author), Žumer, Slobodan (author)

In this brief review, we give an introduction to selected colloidal and microfluidic nematic microstructures, as enabled by the inherent anisotropy and microscopic orientational ordering in complex liquid crystalline materials. We give a brief overview of the mesoscopic theory, for equilibrium and dynamics, of nematic fluids, that provides the framework for understanding, characterization, and even prediction of such microstructures, with particular comment also on the role of topology and topological defects. Three types of nematic microstructures are highlighted: stable or metastable structures in nematic colloids based on spherical colloidal particles, stationary nematic microfluidic structures, and ferromagnetic liquid crystal structures based on magnetic colloidal particles. Finally, this paper is in honor of Noel A. Clark, as one of the world pioneers that helped to shape this field of complex and functional soft matter, contributing at different levels to works of various groups worldwide, including ours.

• Language: English
• Keywords: soft matter physics, liquid crystals, nematics, microfluidics, topology, nematic, structures, colloids
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: FMF - Faculty of Mathematics and Physics
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2021
• Number of pages: 21 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 11, iss. 8, art. 956
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-135979
• UDC: 538.9
• ISSN on article: 2073-4352
• DOI: 10.3390/cryst11080956
• COBISS.SI-ID: 73231619
• Publication date in RUL: 05.04.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Crystals
• Shortened title: Crystals
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2073-4352
• COBISS.SI-ID: 36677893

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 16.08.2021

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: fizika mehke snovi, tekoči kristali, nematiki, mikrofluidika, topologija