LIQUID CRYSTALS

&
NANOMATERIALS

◦ By – Prajwal Sharma
◦ Dev Narayan Uniyal
 Introduction
The liquid crystal state is a distinct state of matter
in which the degrees of molecular ordering lie
intermediate between the ordered crystalline
state and the completely disordered isotropic
liquid state.

Liquid crystalline phase is also referred as

mesophase & the compounds which exhibit
mesophase are referred to as mesogens.
 Positional & Orientational
Order
In solid state, the molecules are highly ordered. Each
molecule occupies a fixed rigid position and is immobile.
Therefore, there is a positional & orientational order in solids.

In liquid state, the molecules neither occupy specific positions

nor remain oriented in a specific manner.

In liquid crystalline state, there exists liquid crystal phase

wherein the molecules are free to move but are oriented in a
particular manner. Thus, it possess orientational order but not
positional order.
Director

Liquid crystal molecules possess

orientational order. The direction of preferred
orientation in a liquid crystal is called the director.
As the molecules do not possess any
positional order they are in constant motion and
they spend more time pointing along the director
than along any other direction.
Classification of liquid crystals:
 Lyotropic liquid crystals:
Some compounds transform to a liquid crystal phase when
with a solvent. A liquid crystalline mesophase is called
lyotropic if formed by dissolving an amphiphilic mesogen in
a suitable solvent, under appropriate conditions of
concentration, temperature and pressure.
A mixture of soap and water is an everyday example of
lytropic liquid crystal.
 NANOMATERIALS
◦ Materials of which a single unit is sized between 1 and 1000
nm but usually is between 1 and 100 nm.
Classification of
nanomaterials
Synthesis of nanomaterials

The fabrication of nanomaterials of tailored properties involve the

control of size, shape, structure, composition and purity of their
constituents.

1. Different methods (top-down and bottom-up approaches)

2. Growth kinetics (cluster formation followed by nucleation and
growth)
Properties of nanomaterials

Nanotechnology has made it possible for humans

to create materials that include nanoforms. And
we do that more and more because they have
some advantages that substances in bigger size
do not have. All this is due to certain properties of
nanomaterials such as:
1. Magnetic properties
2. Electrical properties
3. Optical properties
4. Mechanical properties
Our vision for this project
After this, we are planning to prepare nanocolloids by taking
liquid crystals as hosts and nanomaterials as guests.
References:

1. www.sciencing.com
2. www.sciencedirect.com