Taming Liquid Crystal Self-Assembly: The Multifaceted Response of Nematic and Smectic Shells to Polymerization

By photopolymerizing liquid crystal shells, their rich variety of self-assembled structures can be rendered permanent and the lifetime extended from days to months, without removing the characteristic responsiveness. If polymerization is carried out close to either boundary of the nematic phase, the process triggers the transition into the adjacent phase, to higher or to lower degree of order.