Experimental Realization of Biaxial Liquid Crystal Phases in Colloidal Dispersions of Boardlike Particles

E. van den Pol, A. V. Petukhov, D. M. E. Thies-Weesie, D. V. Byelov, and G. J. Vroege

Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 258301 – Published 17 December 2009

Abstract

Biaxial nematic and biaxial smectic phases were found in a colloidal model system of goethite ( $α$ -FeOOH) particles with a simple boardlike shape and short-range repulsive interaction. The macroscopic domains were oriented by a magnetic field and their structure was revealed by small angle x-ray scattering. In accordance with theoretical predictions, biaxiality appears in a system with particles that have a shape almost exactly in between rodlike and platelike. Our results suggest that biaxial phases can be readily obtained by a proper choice of the particle shape.

Received 14 August 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.258301

Authors & Affiliations

E. van den Pol, A. V. Petukhov, D. M. E. Thies-Weesie, D. V. Byelov, and G. J. Vroege^*

Van ’t Hoff Laboratory for Physical and Colloid Chemistry, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands

^*g.j.vroege@uu.nl

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Issue

Vol. 103, Iss. 25 — 18 December 2009

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