Photopyroelectric Determination of the Order of Liquid Crystal Phase Transitions

The photopyroelectric technique has been used to measure simultaneously the specific heat, the thermal conductivity, and the thermal diffusivity of 9CB liquid crystal in the temperature range 35 to 60°C, where the sample undergoes a weakly first-order phase transition and a second-order one. Measurements of the anisotropy of the thermal conductivity have also been performed, and the data have been used to establish the order of the above-mentioned phase transitions. Pretransitional effects in the isotropic phase in the thermal diffusivity have been found, and they have been associated with similar effects reported for the specific heat.     

Phase Transitions in Liquid Crystal Doped with Magnetic Particles of Different Shapes

In this study, observations of structural transitions in ferronematics based on the thermotropic nematic 4-trans-4′-n-hexyl-cyclohexyl-isothiocyanato-benzene (6CHBT) are described. Droplets of the nematic phase in the isotropic phase were observed in solutions of nematogenic 6CHBT dissolved in phenyl isocyanate and 6CHBT dissolved in phenyl isocyanate and doped with magnetic particles of different shapes (nanorods and chain-like particles). Magneto-dielectric measurements of structural transitions in these new systems enable to estimate of the type of anchoring of the nematic molecules on the magnetic particles surface.     

聚苯乙烯-银胶体晶体的制备及自组装行为

利用冠醚可与银离子复合的特性,制备了聚苯乙烯-冠醚乳胶粒,采用原位还原的方法在乳胶粒表面引入银纳米颗粒,通过垂直沉降,乳胶粒子可自组装成紧密堆积具有面心立方的聚苯乙烯-银胶体晶体。结果表明:引入聚苯乙烯-银乳胶粒表面的银为胶粒总质量的6.7%,乳胶粒具有以银纳米颗粒为壳,聚苯乙烯为核的核壳结构,乳胶粒大小为260 nm,并具有很好的单分散性。由于Bragg散射,该胶体晶带隙位于580 nm,在可见光区域产生明显的光子带隙而呈现出亮丽的绿色。     

Phase Transitions in Liquid Crystal Doped with Magnetic Particles of Different Shapes in Combined Electric and Magnetic Fields

We have studied the influence of electric and magnetic fields on the orientational structure of ferronematics based on a thermotropic nematic 4-trans-4 \(^{\prime }\) -n-hexylcyclohexyl-isothiocyanato-benzene (6CHBT). The 6CHBT liquid crystal has been dissolved in phenyl isothiocyanate and doped with rod-like or chain-like magnetic particles. In such a mixture, the phase transition from an isotropic to a nematic phase is via a droplet state, i.e., coexistence of nematic and isotropic phases. The obtained results showed that a combination of the electric and magnetic fields can change the character of a phase transition from the isotropic to the nematic phase via the droplet state in such systems. Moreover, magneto-dielectric measurements of structural transitions showed the magnetic field induced a shift of the phase transition temperature from the isotropic to the droplet state.     

Liquid Plasmonics: Manipulating Surface Plasmon Polaritons via Phase Transitions

This paper reports the manipulation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) in a liquid plasmonic metal by changing its physical phase. Dynamic properties were controlled by solid-to-liquid phase transitions in 1D Ga gratings that were fabricated using a simple molding process. Solid and liquid phases were found to exhibit different plasmonic properties, where light coupled to SPPs more efficiently in the liquid phase. We exploited the supercooling characteristics of Ga to access plasmonic properties associated with the liquid phase over a wider temperature range (up to 30 °C below the melting point of bulk Ga). Ab initio density functional theory-molecular dynamic calculations showed that the broadening of the solid-state electronic band structure was responsible for the superior plasmonic properties of the liquid metal.     

Reference Microgravity Measurements of Liquid Phase Solute Diffusivities in Tin- and Aluminum-Based Alloys

This paper presents results of the measurement of solute diffusivities in the Al–Ni and Sn–Bi–In systems. These experiments were conducted in microgravity and may therefore be assigned as reference values. A dedicated facility, which can be used for processing of four identical samples in parallel, was developed for the experiments under consideration. In addition, a rather thorough analysis of possible error sources in shear cell type experiments is carried out. Comparison with work carried out using magnetic fields to control convective flows, and with previous indirect measurements results, is also provided. A coherent picture emerges from the overall agreement between various measurements, and the data from the current work can thus be considered as reference benchmarks for future experiments. Another conclusion of the present study is that the shear cell technique is well suited for the measurement of solute diffusivities.     

单分散聚苯乙烯乳胶粒的制备及其二维胶体晶体的自组装

以自合成的平均粒径为95.7 nm、粒径分布指数为0.047的聚苯乙烯乳胶粒为种子,采用种子乳液聚合方法制备出单分散的聚苯乙烯乳胶粒,探讨了控制胶粒粒径大小及分布的方法及制备条件.结果表明,在种子乳液聚合中,通过控制单体加入量和乳化剂的补加速度,可以得到单分散聚苯乙烯乳胶粒;当没有新的胶束生成且乳胶粒子没有发生聚结时,乳胶粒尺寸和分布有自身变窄的倾向,得到了平均粒径为261.6 nm、粒径分布指数为0.021的单分散乳胶粒.采用毛细管作用力驱动的微粒自组装技术进行单分散胶粒的组装,获得了二维有序聚苯乙烯胶体晶体,并用场发射扫描电子显微镜表征了其二维有序结构.     

Nature-Inspired Emerging Chiral Liquid Crystal Nanostructures: From Molecular Self-Assembly to DNA Mesophase and Nanocolloids

Liquid crystals (LCs) are omnipresent in living matter, whose chirality is an elegant and distinct feature in certain plant tissues, the cuticles of crabs, beetles, arthropods, and beyond. Taking inspiration from nature, researchers have recently devoted extensive efforts toward developing chiral liquid crystalline materials with self-organized nanostructures and exploring their potential applications in diverse fields ranging from dynamic photonics to energy and safety issues. In this review, an account on the state of the art of emerging chiral liquid crystalline nanostructured materials and their technological applications is provided. First, an overview on the significance of chiral liquid crystalline architectures in various living systems is given. Then, the recent significant progress in different chiral liquid crystalline systems including thermotropic LCs (cholesteric LCs, cubic blue phases, achiral bent-core LCs, etc.) and lyotropic LCs (DNA LCs, nanocellulose LCs, and graphene oxide LCs) is showcased. The review concludes with a perspective on the future scope, opportunities, and challenges in these truly advanced functional soft materials and their promising applications.     

Discontinuities in Amplitudes of Particles Micromotions Characterizing Phase Transitions in Liquid State

The behavior of amorphous solids below Vogel's (T _V ) or the glass transition (T _g ) temperature, as well as the solid-liquid transition, have been analyzed taking into consideration the anharmonicity of motion of microparticles forming the amorphous bodies. The T _g transition is explained within the logical association of this transition with the higher-temperature transitions, which can eventually involve the process of particle release into the gas phase through the process of a sudden vibrational amplitude growth. It follows from the mathematical solution of the anharmonicity problems that the pulses and the double amplitudes will always be present in aliquid matrix. The T _g temperature is considered as the boundary point for the liquid state at which the dynamical microcracks of a solid state matrix start to proceed. The processes at T _g are accompanied by appearance of new, highly agitated spots and the first microcracks (vacancies) filled up with the ‘semi-evaporated’ particles. In the mechanical sense, these vacancies form a new particle species characterized by quite different properties (different thermal expansion coefficient) as compared with the particles of the original matrix. It is assumed that a number of new mechanical units are growing up to the critical temperature when the original liquid frame, bonding the particles to lower amplitudes, is completely destroyed. The approach proposed does not contradict the traditional views reflected in the famous Adam-Gibbs-Di Marzio or WLF approaches, but allows a different approach to these theories. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

非线性发色团氢键液晶的制备与液晶行为

本文通过还原、重氮化和偶合等反应合成了一种具有双负电荷的偶氮二阶非线性发色团单体2一氰基一3一（4一{4一[（2一羧基一乙基）一甲氨基]一偶氮苯基）一苯基）一丙烯酸（DRCB）,并以DRCB中的羧基为质子给体,4一十七烷基吡啶中的氮原子为质子受体以分子间氢键作用成功合成了具有非线性效应的超分子液晶LDRCB。通过IR和1H—NMR对单体结构进行了表征,又运用DSC和热台偏光显微镜（POM）对复合物的液晶行为进行了研究,结果表明LDRCB在常温就可以显示出液晶态,且氢键复合物的液晶分子具有向列型的液晶织构。     

Deterministic Chaos during First-Order Phase Transitions in a Liquid–Vapor System

A model is developed in which the theory of deterministic chaos for the interface layer is used to treat both homophase and heterophase fluctuations of density (volume) and the fluctuations of pressure, whose duration increases as the critical point is approached. This approach, based on the transition from continuous differential equations to mappings, leads to a number of important consequences in theoretical analysis of high-temperature processes of evaporation and condensation, including the loss of information on the initial conditions, the alternation, and the presence of branching points on bifurcation diagrams.     

Transient Liquid Phase Bonding of Ni—base Single Crystal Superalloy

The Ni-base single crystal superalloy was bonded by the transient liquid phase(TLP) bonding,using a Ni-base flexible metal cloth as an insert alloy.TLP bonding of superalloy was carried out at 1473-1523K for 0.5-24h in vacuum.The [001] orientation of each test specimen was aligned perpendicular to the joint interface.The bonded region was observed by optical microscopy, and the microstructural and compositional analyses across the bonded interlayer were performed by using a scanning electron microscopy(SEM) .The electron back scattering diffraction(EBSD) method was applied to determine the crystallographic orientation.The resultsindicated that the chemical homogeneity across the bonded region can be achieved,and γˊphase both in the bonded interlayer and in the superalloy substrate is almost identical,while the bonded interlayer had almost matched the crystallographic orientation of the bonded substrates.     

PMP中的液晶投影器的性能研究

针对液晶投影器能容易地通过图象板与微机连接，接收ＰＣ机发出的数字电信号并把接收到的信号转换成模拟的光信号投影，可以根据实际应用时控制投影光栅的周期及相移，提出了基于ＬＣＤ投影的全电子的ＰＭＰ方法。     

Interface Dynamics and Far-from-Equilibrium Phase Transitions in Multilayer Epitaxial Growth and Erosion on Crystal Surfaces: Continuum Theory Insights

We review recent theoretical progress in the physical understanding of far-from-equilibrium phenomena seen experimentally in epitaxial growth and erosion on crystal surfaces. The formation and dynamics of various interface structures (pyramids, ripples, etc.), and also kinetic phase transitions observed between these structures, can all be understood within a simple continuum model based on the mass conservation law and respecting the symmetries of the growing crystal surface. In particular, theoretical predictions and experimental results are compared for (001), (110) and (111) crystal surfaces.     

多晶材料塑性变形的晶体相场法研究

简述了运用晶体相场模型研究塑性变形时加载应变的两种主要数值计算方法:变体积方法和等体积方法。论述了两种形变方法的基本原理、求解方法和特点。概述了国内外基于晶体相场模型的塑性变形研究现状,包括二维情形下双晶结构和纳米多晶结构的塑性变形机制研究及"反霍尔佩奇"关系的研究。最后指明了晶体相场模型在塑性变形数值模拟中进一步的研究方向。     

Multiple Routes to Bicontinuous Cubic Liquid Crystal Phases Discovered by High-Throughput Self-Assembly Screening of Multi-Tail Lipidoids

Bicontinuous cubic phases offer advantageous routes to a broad range of applied materials ranging from drug delivery devices to membranes. However, a priori design of molecules that assemble into these phases remains a technological challenge. In this article, a high-throughput synthesis of lipidoids that undergo protonation-driven self-assembly (PrSA) into liquid crystalline (LC) phases is conducted. With this screening approach, 12 different multi-tail lipidoid structures capable of assembling into the bicontinuous double gyroid phase are discovered. The large volume of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) data uncovers unexpected design criteria that enable phase selection as a function of lipidoid headgroup size and architecture, tail length and architecture, and counterion identity. Surprisingly, combining branched headgroups with bulky tails forces lipidoids to adopt unconventional pseudo-disc conformations that pack into double gyroid networks, entirely distinct from other synthetic or biological amphiphiles within bicontinuous cubic phases. From a multitude of possible applications, two examples of functional materials from lipidoid liquid crystals are demonstrated. First, the fabrication of gyroid nanostructured films by interfacial PrSA, which are rapidly responsive to the external medium. Second, it is shown that colloidally-dispersed lipidoid cubosomes, for example, for drug delivery, are easily assembled using top-down solvent evaporation methods.     

甲酸钠低温相变材料的研制及其在蓄冷箱中的应用

本文针对蓄冷保温箱研制了一种相变温度适宜、潜热较高、腐蚀性较小、不产生气体的低温相变材料甲酸钠(二水)21%+79%,并制作了纯聚氨酯发泡(PU)、真空绝热板-聚氨酯复合(VIP-PU)两种保温箱,将研制的相变材料充冷后分别应用于两种不同材质保温层的蓄冷保温箱中,针对不同材质保温箱、不同蓄冷剂质量、不同冷冻温度的对比实验观察放冷效果。结果表明:在冻结温度-60℃情况下,真空绝热板-聚氨酯复合的蓄冷箱保冷效果是纯聚氨酯蓄冷箱的两倍;当所用蓄冷剂质量为15kg,真空绝热板-聚氨酯复合的蓄冷箱能够维持箱内-10℃的低温环境13 h,具有最优的保冷效果。