Stability of cellulose lyotropic liquid crystal emulsions

We studied a new kind of W/O emulsions based on a lyotropic liquid crystal as the aqueous droplet phase. The cholesteric phase, a solution hydroxypropyl cellulose in water was dispersed in the continuous oil matrix, paraffin oil or heptane. We made a specific choice of surfactant in order to impose director anchoring conditions at the oil-water interface and orient the liquid crystal inside the droplet. The strong anchoring conditions resulted in a topological defect inside the droplets of size above the critical value R^*. The defect elastic energy creates a barrier against droplet coalescence, the effect of topological size selection. We have studied the orientation of the director inside the droplets and their size distribution.     

Structural and dielectric behaviors of Bi4Ti3O12 – lyotropic liquid crystalline nanocolloids

We investigated the structural and dielectric dynamics of nanocolloids comprising lyotropic liquid crystals and bismuth titanate (Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂) spherical nanoparticles (≈16–18 nm) of varying concentration 0.05 and 0.1 wt%. The lyotropic liquid crystalline mixture was prepared by a binary mixture of cetylpyridinuium chloride and ethylene glycol mixed in 5:95 wt% ratio. Binary lyotropic mixture exhibited hexagonal lyotropic phase. Structural and textural characterizations of nanocolloids infer that the nanoparticles were homogeneously dispersed in the liquid crystalline matrix and did not perturb the hexagonal ordering of the lyotropic phase. The dielectric constant and dielectric strength were found to be increased with the rise in the Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ nanoparticles concertation in the lyotropic matrix. A significant increase of one order was observed in the ac conductivity of colloidal systems as compared to the non-doped lyotropic liquid crystal. Relaxation parameters of the non-doped lyotropic liquid crystal and colloidal systems were computed and correlated with other parameters.     

Numerical analysis and design of patterned electrode liquid crystal microlens array with dielectric slab

The phase profile of hole patterned electrode liquid crystal (LC) microlens array (MLA) was studied by a numerical method. It indicated that the formation of inverse domain and tilt wall in the liquid crystal cell limits the optical performance of the microlens array. The physical mechanism that determines the formation of inverse domain and tilt wall was elucidated by analyzing the phase profile and the liquid crystal director distribution. According to our numerical results, a new configuration for hole patterned electrode liquid crystal microlens array was proposed by introducing a dielectric slab between the patterned electrode and the liquid crystal. The physical parameters that influence the optical performance of this new configuration LC MLA were studied, which provide fundamental information for the design. The results indicate that the phase profile and focusing power of the new configuration is greatly improved.     

Experimental design to measure the anchoring energy on substrate surface by using the alternating-current bridge

The anchoring property of the substrate surface of liquid crystal cells plays an important role in display and nondisplay fields. This property directly affects the deformation of liquid crystal molecules to change the phase difference through liquid crystal cells. In this paper, a test method based on the alternating-current bridge is proposed to determine the capacitance of liquid crystal cells and thus measure the anchoring energy of the substrate surface. The anchoring energy can be obtained by comparing the capacitance–voltage curves of twisted nematic liquid crystal cells with different anchoring properties in experimental and theoretical results simulated on the basis of Frank elastic theory. Compared with the other methods to determine the anchoring energy, our proposed method requires a simple treatment of liquid crystal cells and allows easy and high-accuracy measurements, thereby expanding the test ideas on the performance parameters of liquid crystal devices.     

Electronic absorption spectrum of cobalt antipyrine complex

The electronic absorption spectrum of cobalt antipyrine complex in the form of a single crystal is studied both at laboratory and liquid nitrogen temperatures. The spectrum is characteristic of Co²⁺ ion in an octahedral crystal field with bands exhibiting spin-orbit splittings at liquid nitrogen temperature. A good fit is obtained with the following crystal field parameters. B = 0.85 kK, C = 37.00 kK, Dq = 0.84 kK, ζ = 0.50 kK.     

Simulation of coherent backscattering of light in nematic liquid crystals

Multiple scattering of light by the fluctuations of the director in a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) aligned by a magnetic field is considered. A peak of coherent backscattering is calculated by numerical simulation. Since the indicatrix of single scattering for a liquid crystal (LC) is known exactly, the calculations are carried out without any simplifying assumptions on the parameters of the liquid crystal. Multiple scattering is simulated as a random walk of photons in the medium. A peak of coherent backscattering in such a medium is very narrow; therefore, the so-called semianalytical method is applied. The parameters of the backscattering peak obtained by numerical simulation are compared with the available experimental data and with the results of analytical approximations. It turns out that the experimental data are in good agreement with the results of simulation. The results of numerical simulation adequately describe the anisotropy and the width of the backscattering peak.     

用偏光干涉法动态测量扭曲向列型液晶指向矢

提出一种基于双折射晶体劈的偏振态实时测量方法,并将该方法用于扭曲向列型液晶透射光的偏振态分析,实现了液晶分子平均指向矢的动态测量.利用基于晶体劈的偏光干涉法将待测光的偏振参量编码为两组干涉条纹,通过对干涉条纹定位实现偏振态的实时测量;再根据液晶指向矢的倾角、扭转角与透射光偏振态之间的关系,推算出液晶分子平均指向矢的动态信息.本实验测量液晶指向矢的速度为每秒5次,液晶平均指向矢的倾角、扭转角的测量准确度达到0.2°.本文研究为液晶分子平均指向矢的动态测量提供了一种有效途径.     

Investigations of twist elastic constant K<Subscript>22</Subscript> of new nematic liquid crystal materials using threshold IPS method

The liquid crystal technology is one of the most popular at the present time. To the most important parameters of liquid crystals belong optical anisotropy, viscosity, and twist elastic constants. One of the most difficult and problematic to measure parameters is a twist elastic constant K₂₂. For new liquid crystalline materials, we have to characterize their physical properties, also a twist elastic constant K₂₂.     

Solid-stabilized emulsion formation using stearoyl lactylate coated iron oxide nanoparticles

Iron oxide nanoparticles can exhibit highly tunable physicochemical properties that are extremely important in applications such as catalysis, biomedicine and environmental remediation. The small size of iron oxide nanoparticles can be used to stabilize oil-in-water Pickering emulsions due to their high energy of adsorption at the interface of oil droplets in water. The objective of this work is to investigate the effect of the primary particle characteristics and stabilizing agent chemistry on the stability of oil-in-water Pickering emulsions. Iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by the co-precipitation method using stoichiometric amounts of Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ salts. Sodium stearoyl lactylate (SSL), a Food and Drug Administration approved food additive, was used to functionalize the iron oxide nanoparticles. SSL is useful in the generation of fat-in-water emulsions due to its high hydrophilic–lipophilic balance and its bilayer-forming capacity. Generation of a monolayer or a bilayer coating on the nanoparticles was controlled through systematic changes in reagent concentrations. The coated particles were then characterized using various analytical techniques to determine their size, their crystal structure and surface functionalization. The capacity of these bilayer coated nanoparticles to stabilize oil-in-water emulsions under various salt concentrations and pH values was also systematically determined using various characterization techniques. This study successfully demonstrated the ability to synthesize iron oxide nanoparticles (20–40 nm) coated with SSL in order to generate stable Pickering emulsions that were pH-responsive and resistant to significant destabilization in a saline environment, thereby lending themselves to applications in advanced oil spill recovery and remediation.     

扭曲向列相液晶电光效应的微观机理研究

为了探究液晶电光效应的微观机理,以扭曲向列相液晶为研究对象,对液晶分子的变化情况进行了理论分析。运用连续体弹性理论分析了扭曲向列相液晶分子的指向矢取向变化,并对液晶电光效应曲线不同区间范围液晶微观结构的变化进行了系统分析。结果表明:液晶分子在零电场条件下的扭曲是均匀的;当外加电场大于某一值时,液晶分子开始转向,液晶产生电光效应。研究结果对液晶显示器件设计和深入理解液晶电光效应机理具有一定的指导意义。     

Nuclear magnetic resonance study of the smectic-cholesteric phase transition in a dimesogenic liquid crystal

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has provided a unique opportunity to study the characteristic smectic-A to chiral nematic phase transition in a dimesogenic liquid crystal (“KI-5S”). The order parameters in the liquid crystalline phases were obtained from the ²H NMR quadrupole splitting and ¹³C NMR chemical shift measurements, manifesting a first-order smectic-nematic phase transition.     

液晶混合光学双稳装置中分叉和混沌行为

本文报道在t_R>>τ(t_R为反馈系统延迟时间,τ为液晶的弛豫时间)条件下,液晶混合光学双稳装置中,随着系统参数的改变,自脉冲经倍周期分叉发展到混沌的过程。计算了分叉图,通过频谱和相空间图能清晰地分析系统的动态行为。实验结果与Ikeda理论进行了比较。 关键词：     

The interfacial energy of two-dimensional bidisperse cellular fluids

The mixing energy of two biphasic fluid systems (dispersions of two liquids or a liquid and a gas, A and B in a liquid C), confined between two parallel plates, is calculated. Our attention is limited to concentrated and monodisperse systems, i.e. emulsions and foam/emulsions consisting of equal-size (if of the same composition) cells separated by a thin liquid film. It is demonstrated that the multiphase mixtures ordered into regular patterns can be stable in a wide range of interfacial tensions acting along A-C and B-C interfaces and also in a wide range of volume fractions of fluid A. Anisotropic properties of such well-ordered structures are also demonstrated.Received: 8 December 2003, Published online: 4 May 2004PACS: 83.80.Iz Emulsions and foams - 05.65. + b Self-organized systems     

一种反射式扭曲向列型液晶显示优化设计的新方法

基于扭曲向列型液晶的显示器件通过调制光波的偏振态实现显示的目的,因此光波的偏振状态在其中起了极为关键的作用.本文结合琼斯矩阵和表示光波偏振态的斯托克斯参量j-circle方法,提出了一种优化反射式扭曲向列型液晶显示器件的新方法.该方法与原有的空间参量方法不同的是采用了追踪光波在传播过程中偏振态变化的办法得到反射式液晶显示器件中各光学元件的参数.该方法简单直观并且可以对多个参数同时进行优化,实现了显示性能的最优化设计并得到了新的显示模式.     

Modeling and design of an optimized patterned electrode liquid crystal microlens array with dielectric slab

To eliminate the occurrence of disclination lines in the hole patterned electrode liquid crystal microlens array (LC MLA), inserting an ultrathin dielectric slab was proved to be an effective method. The thickness of the dielectric slab played an important role in effecting the optical performance of the liquid crystal microlens array device, including the dynamic focal range, focus diameter and symmetry of phase profile. In this paper, we studied the effect of dielectric slab thickness on the optical performance of the liquid crystal microlens array by numerical simulation. It is indicated that the optical performance of the device could be improved by reducing the dielectric slab thickness, assuming that the dielectric slab thickness was larger than the threshold thickness. The dependence of the threshold thickness on some key parameters was investigated and the associated effect on the optical performance by changing these key parameters was also studied. In the end, the approaches to enhance the optical performance, namely the dynamic focal range of the liquid crystal microlens array was proposed and proved to be in effect by numerical simulation results.     

圆孔液晶透镜的ZEMAX设计与优化

液晶透镜是自由3D显示的新器件,其原理是利用基于向列相液晶指向矢随外加电场作用发生变化的光电特性。本文提出一种简易准确的透镜参数设计和优化方案。以单圆孔结构的液晶透镜为例,利用光学软件ZEMAX和焦距缩放法对圆孔结构的液晶透镜的参数加以设计并优化。分析液晶透镜的像差,评价成像质量。结果表明,优化后的液晶透镜的像差明显减小,3.5°视场下,弥散斑均方根半径RMS值由248.118μm减小到62.192μm,为原来的25.1%;光学调制传递函数MTF值明显改善。最后实验测试验证了液晶透镜阵列的衍射光斑亮度及清晰度均显著提高。     

垂直定向液晶光阀中液晶电光特性的理论分析

采用 ４×４ 矩阵法模拟计算了垂直定向液晶光阀的电光特性, 从理论上分析了影响液晶光阀电光特性的因素。根据向列液晶的弹性连续体理论及边界力矩平衡方程, 求出了垂直定向向列液晶在液晶界面之间相互作用锚泊能为有限值时的液晶指向矢分布。根据指向矢分布计算了一定外加电场下液晶光阀的电光特性, 并和锚泊能为无限大时的特性进行了比较和分析     

Beam coupling ratios and diffraction efficiencies of a layer-structured liquid crystal device; the effect of injection temperature and layer thickness

Beam coupling ratios and diffraction efficiencies of a photorefractive liquid crystal cell were measured while changing the injection temperature and the layer thickness of the liquid crystal in a layer-structured fabrication. A high beam coupling ratio and first-order Raman–Nath diffraction efficiency were observed at low injection temperature and small cell gap, which showed high order parameters. However, as the cell gap was reduced, the shear stress at the interfaces between the liquid crystals and the photoconducting layers increased, so that the reorientation of the liquid crystals by an internal field could be restricted by the geometry and interrupted by a highly-induced surface energy, reducing photorefractive effects. An optimum exists in the neighborhood of 7.5 m when LCs are injected at 25 °C under our experimental conditions . PACS 42.65.Hw; 42.70.Df     

Stable and transient bubble formation in acoustically-responsive scaffolds by acoustic droplet vaporization: theory and application in sequential release

Acoustically-responsive scaffolds (ARSs), which are fibrin hydrogels containing monodispersed perfluorocarbon (PFC) emulsions, respond to ultrasound in an on-demand, spatiotemporally-controlled manner via a mechanism termed acoustic droplet vaporization (ADV). Previously, ADV has been used to control the release of bioactive payloads from ARSs to stimulate regenerative processes. In this study, we used classical nucleation theory (CNT) to predict the nucleation pressure in emulsions of different PFC cores as well as the corresponding condensation pressure of the ADV-generated bubbles. According to CNT, the threshold bubble radii above which ADV-generated bubbles remain stable against condensation were 0.4 µm and 5.2 µm for perfluoropentane (PFP) and perfluorohexane (PFH) bubbles, respectively, while ADV-generated bubbles of any size in perfluorooctane (PFO) condense back to liquid at ambient condition. Additionally, consistent with the CNT findings, stable bubble formation from PFH emulsion was experimentally observed using confocal imaging while PFO emulsion likely underwent repeated vaporization and recondensation during ultrasound pulses. In further experimental studies, we utilized this unique feature of ADV in generating stable or transient bubbles, through tailoring the PFC core and ultrasound parameters (excitation frequency and pulse duration), for sequential delivery of two payloads from PFC emulsions in ARSs. ADV-generated stable bubbles from PFH correlated with complete release of the payload while transient ADV resulted in partial release, where the amount of payload release increased with the number of ultrasound exposure. Overall, these results can be used in developing drug delivery strategies using ARSs.     

Optimal design of achromatic quarter-wave plate using twisted nematic liquid crystal cells

A novel configuration of achromatic quarter-wave plate using two twisted nematic liquid crystal (TNLC) cells is presented. The 4 × 4 Mueller matrix is used to describe the optical properties of the liquid crystal cells. The universal tabu (Utabu) search method is used for optimizing the structural parameters. Simulation results indicate that the designed structure is capable of turning a linearly polarized light into perfectly circularly polarized light and vice versa in wavelength range 1200–1650 nm. The manufacturing tolerances of cell gap, twisted angle, etc. are good.PACS: 42.79.K