Dynamical and Structural Studies of Liquid Crystal Phases

液晶相的动力学和结构研究

• 批准号: 0606528
• 负责人: Noel Clark
• 金额: $ 48万
• 依托单位: University of Colorado at Boulder
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-02-01 至 2011-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0606528&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dynamical; Structural; Studies; Liquid; Crystal

This award by the Biomaterials program in the Division of Materials Research to University of Colorado Boulder is to study Dynamical and Structural Studies of Liquid Crystal Phases, and is co-funded by the Solid State Chemistry program in DMR. With this award, PI will study liquid crystal (LC) phases of nanoscale duplex DNA with only a few (6 - 6) base pairs, physics of tubule forming diacetylenic phospholipids, freely suspended films of bola amphiphiles, the dynamics of topological defects in freely suspended films, multi-layer islands on monolayer films, polarization-modulated phases of bent-core molecules, and the organization of liquid crystals on micro- and nano-patterned surfaces. The project will probe the LC phase structures, the molecular adhesion mechanism leading to anisotropic LC forming aggregates, and the effects of DNA base pair choices. Liquid crystal phases proposed to study included 2D nematic to 2D smectic A phase transitions; smectic of bent-core molecules with triclinic symmetry; collective dynamics of layer to layer interfaces in smectic films; and X-ray and optical methods to study structural aspects of these LC phases. LCs are phases stabilized by weak interactions and characterized by various degrees of fluid ordering, a combination enabling self-organization and annealing out to mesoscopic and macroscopic length scales into structures that are easily manipulated by agents such as fields and surfaces. These studies not only makes liquid crystals technologically useful, but also leads directly to the central role played by liquid crystals and liquid crystal organizational themes in the development of self-assembled supermolecular systems. Thus liquid crystals continue to present problems and opportunities of extraordinary interest in condensed mater science. The proposed work focuses on the study of their structure and dynamical behavior using optical microscopy, light scattering, synchrotron-based x-ray diffraction, and electron microscopy, addressing issues in the physics of a variety of soft matter systems.%%%With this project, collaborations with industry will be pursued in the area of LC alignment and bent-core molecular nonlinear optics. The training of graduate students will be a priority of this project and the PI plans to develop the University of Colorado Liquid Crystal Science and Technology Program with a focus on the development of a soft-matter graduate laboratory course. In addition, the PI will continue to add new activities with the Materials Science from CU program, a science education enrichment program presenting hands-on classes to Colorado students, and designed to teach physical science concepts using the current understanding of materials. For K-6 students and their parents, the PI plans to serve as a "Wizard" in the Liquid Crystal Wizards Show, which has been performed in Boulder and rural areas of Colorado over the past several years.

该奖项由科罗拉多大学博尔德分校材料研究部的生物材料项目授予，旨在研究液晶相的动力学和结构研究，并由DMR的固态化学项目共同资助。 有了这个奖项，PI将研究只有几个（6 - 6）碱基对的纳米级双链DNA的液晶（LC）相，形成二炔磷脂的小管物理学，bola两亲物的自由悬浮膜，自由悬浮膜中拓扑缺陷的动力学，单层膜上的多层岛，双核分子的偏振调制相，以及液晶在微米和纳米图案化表面上的组织。 该项目将探讨液晶相结构，导致各向异性液晶形成聚集体的分子粘附机制，以及DNA碱基对选择的影响。 建议研究的液晶相包括2D的双晶相到2D的近晶相A相变;具有三斜对称性的双晶核分子的近晶相;近晶膜中层与层界面的集体动力学;以及X射线和光学方法来研究这些LC相的结构方面。 LC是通过弱相互作用稳定的相，其特征在于不同程度的流体有序性，这种组合使自组织和退火能够达到介观和宏观长度尺度，从而形成易于由诸如场和表面的试剂操纵的结构。这些研究不仅使液晶在技术上有用，而且还直接导致液晶和液晶组织主题在自组装超分子系统的发展中发挥的核心作用。因此，在凝聚态物质科学中，液晶继续呈现出令人特别感兴趣的问题和机会。拟议的工作重点是使用光学显微镜，光散射，基于同步加速器的X射线衍射和电子显微镜研究它们的结构和动力学行为，解决各种软物质系统的物理学问题。通过该项目，将在液晶取向和双芯分子非线性光学领域与工业界进行合作。研究生的培训将是该项目的优先事项，PI计划开发科罗拉多大学液晶科学与技术项目，重点是开发软物质研究生实验室课程。 此外，PI将继续增加新的活动与材料科学从CU程序，科学教育丰富的计划，提出动手类科罗拉多的学生，并旨在教物理科学的概念，使用当前的理解材料。对于K-6学生和他们的父母，PI计划作为一个“向导”在液晶奇才显示，这已在博尔德和农村地区的科罗拉多在过去几年中进行。