Heliconical-layered nanocylinders (HLNCs) –hierarchical self-assembly in a unique B4 phase liquid crystal morphology

Shadpour, Sasan; Nemati, Ahlam; Boyd, Nicola Jane; Li, Lin; Prevot, Marianne Estelle; Wakerlin, Samantha L.; Vanegas, Julie P.; Salamonczyk, Mirosław; Hegmann, Elda; Zhu, Chenhui; Wilson, Mark R.; Jakli, Antal I.; Hegmann, Torsten

doi:10.1039/c9mh00089e

Heliconical-layered nanocylinders (HLNCs) –hierarchical self-assembly in a unique B4 phase liquid crystal morphology

Shadpour, Sasan; Nemati, Ahlam; Boyd, Nicola Jane; Li, Lin; Prevot, Marianne Estelle; Wakerlin, Samantha L.; Vanegas, Julie P.; Salamonczyk, Mirosław; Hegmann, Elda; Zhu, Chenhui; Wilson, Mark R.; Jakli, Antal I.; Hegmann, Torsten

Authors

Sasan Shadpour

Ahlam Nemati

Nicola Jane Boyd

Lin Li

Marianne Estelle Prevot

Samantha L. Wakerlin

Julie P. Vanegas

Mirosław Salamonczyk

Elda Hegmann

Chenhui Zhu

Professor Mark Wilson mark.wilson@durham.ac.uk
Professor

Antal I. Jakli

Torsten Hegmann

Abstract

A unique morphology for bent-core liquid crystals forming the B4 phase has been found for a class of tris-biphenyl bent-core liquid crystal molecules with a single chiral side chain in the longer para-side of the molecule. Unlike the parent molecules with two chiral side chains or a chiral side chain in the shorter meta-side, which form helical nano- or microfilament B4 phases, the two derivatives described here form heliconical-layered nanocylinders composed of up to 10 coaxial heliconical layers, which can split or merge, braid, and self-assemble into a variety of modes including feather- or herringbone-type structures, concentric rings, or hollow nest-like superstructures. These multi-level hierarchical self-assembled structures, rivaling muscle fibers, display blue structural color and show immense structural and morphological complexity.

Citation

Shadpour, S., Nemati, A., Boyd, N. J., Li, L., Prevot, M. E., Wakerlin, S. L., …Hegmann, T. (2019). Heliconical-layered nanocylinders (HLNCs) –hierarchical self-assembly in a unique B4 phase liquid crystal morphology. Materials Horizons, 6(5), 959--968. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9mh00089e

Journal Article Type	Article
Acceptance Date	Feb 13, 2019
Online Publication Date	Feb 13, 2019
Publication Date	Feb 13, 2019
Deposit Date	Apr 5, 2019
Publicly Available Date	Feb 13, 2020
Journal	Materials horizons.
Electronic ISSN	2051-6355
Publisher	Royal Society of Chemistry
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	6
Issue	5
Pages	959--968
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1039/c9mh00089e
Related Public URLs	https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1494966