Hierarchical self-assembly of nematic colloidal superstructures

Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys. 2008 Jun;77(6 Pt 1):061706. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.77.061706. Epub 2008 Jun 12.

Abstract

We show that colloidal superstructures could be assembled in mixtures of large and small colloidal particles dispersed in a nematic liquid crystal. Using elastic interaction of small colloidal particles with the disclination lines we succeed to demonstrate how one can decorate with small particles a topological matrix of defect rings and loops formed by an array of large colloidal particles. Our simulations show that this concept of colloidal self-assembly in nematics could be extended down to the nanoscale particles.