Twist-grain boundary phase induced by Au nanoparticles in a chiral liquid crystal host. Issue 10 (9th August 2017) - Trček, Maja
ABSTRACT: We report on the stabilisation of the liquid-crystalline, twist-grain boundary A (TGB A ) phase in mixtures of a chiral liquid crystal and surface-functionalised spherical Au nanoparticles (NPs) of 10 nm diameter. The results, obtained by calorimetric, optical, small-angle X-ray and plasmon resonance measurements, demonstrate that a TGB A phase, which is metastable for the pure liquid crystal host, can be effectively stabilised for a 3 K range in the presence of NPs. Moreover, the role of NPs size on the TGB A stabilisation is briefly discussed. Graphical Abstract: