Effect of the Nanoparticle Surface Termination on the Nanoparticle-Smectic Liquid Crystal Interaction: Order/Disorder Effect

“这个奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案(公法111-5)资助的。”技术总结：该提案调查了纳米粒子的表面终止如何影响液晶和纳米粒子之间的相互作用。对这一体系(液晶/纳米粒子表面封端/纳米粒子)的系统研究对于改进应用和生物应用具有重要意义。这个系统很有趣，因为液晶的分子间距(3-4 nm)与所使用的纳米颗粒相当。纳米粒子可以根据其表面或官能团的不同，在液晶上引起相变，从而使液晶无序。该提案将研究该系统作为以下因素的函数：1.温度；2.液晶膜厚度；3.粒子浓度，无论有无外加磁场。这些结果将与P.I.为近晶-A相发展的唯象模型进行比较？纳米颗粒？表面涂层系统。这项研究得益于研究纳米粒子/表面端基/液晶体系的热容随温度变化的国际合作工作。从热容和X射线研究中获得的信息将提供有关液晶无序化的信息。非技术摘要：液晶在设备和生物应用中都很重要。液晶在电视、S、钟表等许多领域都有应用。它们也是每个生物细胞的壁相。纳米粒子与液晶的相互作用是研究的重要内容，因为液晶的分子尺寸与纳米粒子相当。在无机纳米粒子的表面涂覆一层有机物，以改善其与有机液晶的相互作用，并在生物应用中识别特定的细胞壁。这项研究调查了纳米颗粒及其表面涂层的组合是如何排列或扰乱液晶的，并可以判断这种组合是否会对应用不利或对活细胞有害。从事这一项目的学生将了解如何获得更好的设备，以及在使用纳米粒子与生物互动时必须采取哪些预防措施。在专业会议和其他会议上所做的陈述将使公众了解这些事实。给本科生和大学预科学生的演讲将教授液晶如何出现在他们生活的许多方面。

"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)."Technical summary: The proposal investigates how the surface termination of a nanoparticle affects the interaction between the liquid crystal and the nanoparticles. The systematic study of this system (liquid crystal/nanoparticle surface-termination/nanoparticle) is important for improved applications and biological applications. This system is interesting because the molecular spacing for the liquid crystals (3-4 nm) is comparable to the nanoparticles used. The nanoparticles can induce phase changes on the liquid crystals, depending on their surface or functionalization groups, and disorder the liquid crystal. The proposal will study the system as a function of 1. temperature; 2. liquid crystal film thickness; 3. particle concentration, both with and without and external magnetic field. These results will be compared with a phenomenological model that the P. I. has developed for the smectic-A phase ? nanoparticle ? surface coating system. The research has benefited from international collaborative work in the study of the heat capacitance of the system of nanoparticles/surface termination/liquid crystals as a function of temperature. The information obtained both from the heat capacitance and the x-ray study done in the present work will provide information on the disordering of the liquid crystal.Non-technical summary: Liquid crystals are important both for device and biological application. Liquid crystals are in TV?s, clocks and many other applications. They are also the phases of the walls of every living creature cell. The interaction of nanoparticles with liquid crystals is important to study since the molecular size of the liquid crystals is comparable to the nanoparticles. Inorganic nanoparticles are coated with an organic at their surface to improve their interaction with the organic liquid crystals and to identify specific cell walls in biological applications. This study investigates how the combination of the nanoparticle and their surface coating orders or disorders the liquid crystal, and can tell if the combination will be a disadvantage to applications or dangerous to living cells. Students working on this project will get an understanding of what has to be done to obtain better devices, and also what precautions have to be taking when using nanoparticles to interact with living creatures. The presentations done in professional and other meetings will inform the general public of these facts. Presentations to undergraduates and pre-college students will teach how liquid crystals appears in many aspects of their lives.