Periodic Reporting for period 2 - CoPEC (Colloidal particles in elasto-capillary fields)
Période du rapport: 2021-01-01 au 2021-12-31
The project was carried out using numerical simulations based on continuum theories. The overall objective was to develop computer models to gain basic knowledge on the behavior of colloidal particles adsorbed at liquid crystal interfaces. Understanding collective phenomena, which are essential to make predictions on potentially interesting applications, was one of the final scientific targets of the project. But prior to addressing multi-particle systems, a large part of the project first focused on gaining general knowledge on (i) the behavior of a single particle, and (ii) pair interaction potentials.
Overall, “CoPEC” fulfilled its main objective, i.e. new computer codes could be designed and developed to improve our understanding of particles straddling LC interfaces. Unexpected results (see below), essentially at the single particle level, were unveiled due to the aforementioned elastocapillary coupling, allowing new insights to be gained. However, a great deal of efforts are still needed to fully characterize such systems, whose physical properties are very rich due to the numerous intertwined effects (e.g. capillarity, elasticity, multiphase flows).
Extending the previous studies to the case of curved Iso-Iso and Iso-N interfaces was the matter of WP3. Unfortunately, only embryonic explorations could be performed at such interfaces, mainly because of a lack of time.
Finally, the first task of the last work package (WP4) could be partially addressed. This WP focuses on collective phenomena involving two or more particles straddling an Iso-N interface. As in WP2, we first successfully benchmarked our model for an Iso-Iso interface with two particles undergoing an attractive capillary interaction. We then extended our calculations to an Iso-N interface and obtained preliminary results highlighting the possibility of having attractive capillary interactions competing with repulsive elastic interactions. However, this promising investigation could not be pursued further due to a lack of time.
The results collected so far allowed us to publish several papers, as described in the next section.
As a fundamental research project, “CoPEC” is not expected to yield significant socio-economic impacts nor have particular societal implications in the foreseeable future. Although “CoPEC” might yield promising applications in a variety of areas, as pointed out in the proposal, the relevance and importance of such concrete impacts are difficult to assess.