Developing novel liquid crystal technologies for display and photonic applications

Modern liquid crystal displays (LCDs) require novel technologies, such as new alignment methods to eliminate alignment layers, fast response and long operation time. To this end, we report an overview of recent efforts in LCD technologies devoted to realize more display modes having no alignment layer, faster switching time and low battery consumption. In particular, we overview recent advances on the liquid crystals (LCs) alignment for display applications, which includes superfine nanostructures, polymeric microchannels and polymer stabilized LCs. Furthermore, we analyze the main optical and electro-optical properties of new generation LCDs displays addressing a particular attention to LCs blue phase hosting gold nanoparticles. Moreover, we focus on the progress of electrofluidic displays, which demonstrates characteristics that are similar to LCDs, with attention on various pixel designs, operation principles and possible future trends of the technology.     

Interfacial Crystallization of Diacylglycerols Rich in Medium‐ and Long‐Chain Fatty Acids in Water‐in‐Oil Emulsions

The effects of diacylglycerols rich in medium‐ and long‐chain fatty acids (MLCD) on the crystallization of hydrogenated palm oil (HPO) and formation of 10% water‐in‐oil (W/O) emulsion are studied, and compared with the common surfactants monostearoylglycerol (MSG) and polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR). Polarized light microscopy reveals that emulsions made with MLCD form crystals around dispersed water droplets and promotes HPO crystallization at the oil‐water interface. Similar behavior is also observed in MSG‐stabilized emulsions, but is absent from emulsions made with PGPR. The large deformation yield value of the test W/O emulsion is increased four‐fold versus those stabilized via PGPR due to interfacial crystallization of HPO. However, there are no large differences in droplet size, solid fat content (SFC), thermal behavior or polymorphism to account for these substantial changes, implying that the spatial distribution of the HPO crystals within the crystal network is the driving factor responsible for the observed textural differences. MLCD‐covered water droplets act as active fillers and interact with surrounding fat crystals to enhance the rigidity of emulsion. This study provides new insights regarding the use of MLCD in W/O emulsions as template for interfacial crystallization and the possibility of tailoring their large deformation behavior. Practical Applications: MLCD is applied in preparing W/O emulsion. It is found that MLCD forms unique interfacial Pickering crystals around water droplets, which promote the surface‐inactive HPO nucleation at the oil‐water interface. Thus MLCD‐covered water droplets act as active fillers and interact with surrounding fat crystals, which can greatly enhance the rigidity of emulsion. This observation would provide a theoretical reference and practical basis for the application of the MLCD with appreciable nutritional properties in lipid‐rich products such as whipped cream, shortenings margarine, butter and ice cream, so as to substitute hydrogenated oil. MLCD‐stabilized emulsions can also be explored for the development of novel confectionery products, lipsticks, or controlled release matrices.     

Cover Picture: Arresting,Fixing, and Separating Dimers Composed of Uniform Silica Colloidal Spheres (Adv. Funct. Mater. 12/2006)

In colloidal suspensions of silica, particles undergo constant collisions. By controlling various parameters, the repulsive barrier can be reduced, thereby substantially increasing the number of collision‐induced dimerization events. Xia and co‐workers report on p. 1627 that the dimers could be arrested and then permanently fixed by introducing a small amount of fresh tetraethylorthosilicate into the colloidal suspension, with monodisperse dimer yields of up to 50 %. This yield could be increased to 80 % by centrifugation in a density gradient medium. When fresh tetraethylorthosilicate is introduced into a colloidal suspension of silica spheres, it hydrolyzes and condenses in situ to arrest and fix the dimers resulting from constant collisions between the spheres. By optimizing the experimental parameters (including the length of aging time) and the diameter of the silica spheres, as well as the concentrations of counterions, water, and ammonia, it is possible to routinely produce monodisperse dimers with a yield as high as 50 %. When combined with centrifugation using a density gradient medium, the yield of such dimers could be further increased to 80 %. It is believed that this method will provide a simple and versatile approach to the high‐volume production of dimers from spherical colloids composed of different materials. These dimers may find widespread use in a range of applications such as fabrication of photonic crystals and fundamental studies related to colloidal science.     

干腌火腿的质量缺陷及防止措施

由于猪腿原材料或者加工技术的问题,而造成干腌火腿产品质量的多种缺陷。综述了干腌火腿中常见的各种质量缺陷以及防止这些质量缺陷的措施。     

激光晶体材料的发展和思考

在分析激光晶体研究现状的基础上，指出其未来应用及主要发展趋势：高功率、大能量激光晶体；中红外激光晶体；蓝绿紫和可见光激光晶体；LD抽运超快激光增益和放大介质晶体。以上四个方向中，高功率、大能量全固态激光晶体材料和LD抽运超快激光晶体材料又是覆盖其他方向、带有共性基础科学问题的关键方向。着重报道了LD抽运超快激光晶体材料的最新研究进展。     

光子晶体及其自组装制备

自从理论计算指出金刚石结构具有完全光子带隙以来，三维光子晶体的理论研究和实验制作一直受到高度重视。光子晶体的制备方法总体上可分为两大类：微制作法和自组装法。前者适合于制备微波、远红外及近红外波段的光子晶体，后者制备近红外、可见或更短波段的光子晶体具有独特的优势。简述了光子晶体的概念和基本特征，并对三维光子晶体的自组装制备方法进行了综述。     

光子晶体与光子晶体光纤的应用

介绍了上世纪80年代末出现的光子晶体的概念和材料特点、光子晶体光纤的性能、国际学术界的研究热点及具有深远影响的应用领域。     

基于光子带隙(PBG)结构的小型K波段谐振式带通滤波器

提出了一种新的基于光子带隙结构的K波段谐振式带通滤波器，给出了近似设计公式，并在半导体衬底上，采用微电子的工艺实现了这种结构。这种滤波器设计方法简单，体积小，整个长度接近谐振频率上的导波波长，加工方便，便于与其他电路集成，带内损耗小，阻带范围宽，带外抑制高。另外，本文的理论分析和实验结果均基于半导体衬底，可以直接应用于微波集成电路中。理论模拟与实际测量值基本吻合。     

聚合物分散液晶(PMMA:5CB:C60)光折变特性的实验研究

用溶致相分离方法制备了3种不同组分的聚合物分散液晶薄膜(PMMA：5CB：C60)，C60作为敏化剂。利用二波耦合实验测量了不同样品的衍射效率和响应时间等光折变特性，实验发现，液晶含量不同的薄膜光学性质有很大的不同。     

Panchromatic Chromophore Mixtures in an AlPO4‐5 Molecular Sieve: Spatial Separation Effects and Energy Transfer Cascades

Dye‐loaded AlPO₄‐5 single crystals were prepared by microwave‐assisted hydrothermal synthesis from a batch, containing a mixture of three chromophores (Coumarin 40, Rhodamine BE50, and Oxazine 1) differing in their absorption range, molecular dimensions, and solubilities. Confocal fluorescence images reveal a spatial separation effect of the dye molecules, where the slimmer, more‐soluble dye molecule (Coumarin 40) is uniformly distributed in the body of the single crystal, and the bulky and/or less‐soluble ones (Rhodamine BE50, Oxazine 1) are situated in distinct domains. Visible spectra show good panchromatic absorption of visible light. Fluorescence lifetime measurements indicate the presence of an energy transfer cascade of the entirely fixed dye molecules from Coumarin 40 to Oxazine 1. The transfer mechanism is predominantly radiative.