Conversion of inorganic nanosheet liquid crystals to inorganic biomimetic membranes

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

We investigated pinning of inorganic nanosheets in a colloidal liquid crystalline state prepared by exfoliation of layered crystals in a solvent in order to convert them to fluid membranes, as a first step of constructing inorganic biomimetic membranes. Liquid crystalline niobate nanosheets were pinned in an aqueous system through careful washing of the nanosheets, growth of the liquid crystal domains, and application of an electric field in the direction perpendicular to gravity which causes sedimentation of the nanosheets. Membrane-like structures will be realized if we control the domain growth more carefully.