Biaxial phases in mineral liquid crystals |
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| Authors: | Gert Jan Vroege |
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| Institution: | 1. Van’t Hoff Laboratory for Physical and Colloid Chemistry, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlandsg.j.vroege@uu.nl |
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| Abstract: | A review is given of liquid crystals formed in colloidal dispersions, in particular those consisting of mineral particles. Starting with the historical development and early theory, the characteristic properties related to the colloidal nature of this type of liquid crystals are discussed. The possibility to find biaxial nematic and smectic phases is described for mixtures of rods and plates and recent examples are given of biaxial liquid crystal phases of mineral particles with inherent biaxial shape. |
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| Keywords: | biaxial nematic biaxial smectic colloid mineral nanoparticle |
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