Fluorescence Confocal Polarizing Microscopy of Three-Dimensional Director Configurations in Liquid Crystals

该项目旨在开发和应用一种称为荧光共聚焦偏振显微镜（FCPM）的技术，该技术可以提供液晶分子取向的三维可视化。将表征液晶基质的影响，以确定胶体颗粒之间的相互作用，外电场如何改变具有一维周期性的层状液晶结构，位错和斜位等拓扑缺陷的结构和动态特征，以及肌动蛋白等生物相关材料的结构组织。这项研究将在肯特州立大学（KSU）液晶研究所进行。KSU提供研究生（化学物理跨学科项目）和本科生培训（由NSF本科生研究经验资助），并为工业伙伴关系（涉及约30家公司的工业伙伴关系项目）提供肥沃的土壤。本项目以液晶系统的基础科学为重点，旨在为社会提供即时的实际效益，即通过开发用于生物传感器的液晶，其中胶体颗粒以细菌和病毒为代表，以及快速显示和光束转向装置。由生物来源的分子（如肌动蛋白）形成的液晶中的分子取向模式将有助于理解取向秩序在生物系统中的作用。最后，该研究将解决液晶缺陷的作用，即所谓的拓扑缺陷，以及它们如何改变液晶介质的性质和结构。

This project aims to develop and apply a technique called Fluorescence Confocal Polarizing Microscopy (FCPM) that provides 3-dimensional visualization of the molecular orientation in liquid crystals. Liquid crystal matrix influences will be characterized to determine the interactions between colloidal particles, how the external electric field changes the structure of layered liquid crystals with one-dimensional periodicity, what are the structural and dynamic features of topological defects such as dislocations and disclinations, and what is the structural organization of biologically relevant materials such as actin. This research will be conducted at the Liquid Crystal Institute at Kent State University (KSU). KSU provides for graduate (Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program) and undergraduate training (supported by NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates grant), and provides a fertile ground for industrial partnerships (Industrial Partnerships Program involving about 30 companies). This project focusing on the basic science of liquid crystal systems is aimed at providing immediate practical benefits to society, namely, through the development of liquid crystals for biosensors, in which the colloidal particles are represented by bacteria and viruses, and fast displays and beam steering devices. The molecular orientation patterns in liquid crystals formed by molecules of biological origin, such as actin, will aid an understanding of the role of orientational order in biological systems. Finally, the study will address the role of imperfections of liquid crystals, so-called topological defects, and how they alter the properties and structure of the liquid crystalline medium.