EXamining CHemistry and Nanoparticle Geometry Effects at the INterface of Liquid CrystalS

Descrizione del progetto

Svelare le macchinazioni interne dei cristalli liquidi

I cristalli liquidi sono rinomati per il loro impiego in orologi digitali minuscoli e in schermi piatti di grandi dimensioni. Tuttavia, le interazioni tra particelle che hanno luogo in corrispondenza delle interfacce dei cristalli liquidi sono poco conosciute. Il progetto EXCHANGE_inLCs, finanziato dall’UE, si prefigge di chiarire le interazioni che intercorrono tra le particelle e i cristalli liquidi su scala submicronica, analizzando la chimica e gli effetti geometrici delle nanoparticelle in corrispondenza delle interfacce dei cristalli liquidi. La ricerca verterà sul modo in cui confinamento, dimensione e forma delle particelle influiscono sulle interazioni. Si prevede che i risultati del progetto faranno progredire le conoscenze fondamentali inerenti all’autoassemblaggio delle nanoparticelle all’interno di fluidi anisotropi, il che rappresenta la chiave per lo sviluppo di nuovi approcci dal basso verso l’alto nelle nanotecnologie.

Obiettivo

The organization of nanoparticles is important for tuning material characteristics, impacting electronic and optical properties. Systems in nanotechnology are reliant upon self-assembly. Recently, liquid crystals, famous for displays, have been employed to self-assemble particles, due to the medium’s ability to form complex patterns. However, the exact interactions between nanoparticles and liquid crystals at the submicron scale remain ambiguous. EXCHANGE_inLCs seeks to elucidate particle-liquid crystal interactions at the submicron scale, by EXamining CHemistry and Nanoparticle Geometry Effects at the INterface of Liquid CrystalS through: 1) varying system GEOMETRY to elucidate the impact of confinement, particle size, and shape, and 2) varying system CHEMISTRY to clarify the activity of certain chemical species around particles. The project will be performed at Utrecht University, where the host has expertise in nanoparticle assembly and light nanoscopy. By varying system length scales and types of surface treatments, key interactions can be isolated.

The project will facilitate the following two-way transfer of knowledge between the host and me: A) The host has innovated methods of functionalizing, manipulating, and imaging particle assemblies, down to the single-particle resolution. Both skills are essential for me to investigate my systems at a challenging length scale where both chemistry and geometry can be equally influential. B) The host has a history of exploring the ordering of rod-like particles (colloidal liquid crystals), and my expertise in patterning rod-like molecules (molecular liquid crystals) would complement their body of knowledge. We share a mutual interest in interparticle interactions and their effects on self-assembly. The project combines our areas of expertise to advance fundamental knowledge of nanoparticle self-assembly in anisotropic fluids, essential for developing new bottom-up approaches in nanotechnology, a European priority.