Structural Transition in Liquid Crystal Bubbles Generated from Fluidic Nanocellulose Colloids

The structural transition in micrometer‐sized liquid crystal bubbles (LCBs) derived from rod‐like cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) was studied. The CNC‐based LCBs were suspended in nematic or chiral nematic liquid‐crystalline CNCs, which generated topological defects and distinct birefringent textures around them. The ordering and structure of the LCBs shifted from a nematic to chiral nematic arrangement as water evaporation progressed. These packed LCBs exhibited a specific photonic cross‐communication property that is due to a combination of Bragg reflection and bubble curvature and size.