Magnetic Tilting in Nematic Liquid Crystals Driven by Self-Assembly

Self-assembly is one of the crucial mechanisms allowing the design multifunctional materials. Soft hybrid materials contain components of different natures and exhibit competitive interactions which drive self-organization into structures of a particular function. Here a novel type of a magnetic hybrid material where the molecular tilt can be manipulated through a delicate balance between the topologically-assisted colloidal self-assembly of magnetic nanoparticles and the anisotropic molecular interactions in a liquid crystal matrix is demonstrated.

Automated summary

Self-assembly is a crucial mechanism for designing multifunctional materials, especially in soft hybrid materials where components of different natures interact to form structures with specific functions. A novel magnetic hybrid material was demonstrated, showing the manipulation of molecular tilt through a delicate balance between topologically-assisted colloidal self-assembly of magnetic nanoparticles and anisotropic molecular interactions in a liquid crystal matrix.