Assembly and organization of nanoscale particles using thermotropic liquid crystals

纳米技术是用分子或纳米级的积木来构建功能材料。纳米技术的众多潜力需要强大而广泛的纳米科学研发网络，需要在各个科学领域开发新的战略和专业知识。纳米粒子的自组装是技术进步的主要目标，对于纳米材料在高科技设备中的集成和应用至关重要。我的实验室正在开发基于热致(无溶剂)液晶和纳米材料的独特性质相结合的纳米材料的新方法，目标是生产能够对温度和外加电场等外部刺激做出反应的液晶纳米复合材料。液晶本身就是纳米材料自组装的完美候选者，因为液晶状态结合了分子(纳米级)水平上的有序性和流动性。液晶由各向异性分子组成，与影响结构和性能的外场和表面相互作用。液晶在许多科学界得到了极大的认可；取向有序和集体分子运动的概念在生物科学中得到承认，有助于理解细胞膜、肌肉和形态发生。此外，液晶还被广泛应用于信息显示器、生物传感器、药物输送载体、光子带隙结构和复合负折射率材料、柔性塑料显示器以及光学元件，从可控透镜到激光光束控制。液晶科学和技术正在跨越许多基础学科的边界。我们的功能性液晶纳米复合材料的设计将有助于纳米技术革命，并可能发现或改进纳米电子、电光、功能涂层、光学存储器和显示设备等领域的许多高科技应用，这些领域具有新的开关模式、更低的操作电压、更快的开关速度和更高的对比度--这是一个每年价值超过600亿美元的行业。-在一个液晶显示器比人多的世界里。

Nanotechnology is building functional materials from molecular or nanoscale building blocks. The many potentials of nanotechnology require a strong and broad network of nanoscience R&D, the development of novel strategies and expertise in various fields of science.Self-assembly of nanoparticles, a major goal for technological advances is essential for the integration and application of nanomaterials in high-tech devices. My laboratory is developing new approaches for the development of nanomaterials based on the combination of the unique properties of thermotropic (solvent-less) liquid crystals and nanoscale materials with the goal of producing liquid crystal nanocomposites that will respond to external stimuli such as temperature and applied electric fields. Liquid crystals, by their very nature, are perfect candidates for the self-assembly of nanoscale materials, as the liquid crystalline state combines order and mobility at the molecular (nanoscale) level. Composed of anisotropic molecules, liquid crystals interact with external fields and surfaces influencing structure and properties. Liquid crystals have gained great acceptance in many scientific communities; the concept of orientational order and collective molecular motion is recognized in bioscience, contributing to the understanding of cell membranes, muscles, and morphogenesis. In addition, liquid crystals have found widespread use in information displays, biological sensors, as drug delivery vehicles, in photonic band gap structures and in composite negative index materials, in flexible plastic displays, and in optical elements, from controllable lenses to laser beam steering. Liquid crystal science and technology is crossing the boundaries of many fundamental disciplines. Our design of functional liquid crystal nanocomposites will contribute to the nanotech revolution and likely to the discovery or improvement of many high-tech applications in areas such as nanoscale electronics, electro-optics, functional coatings, optical memories, and display devices with new switching modes, lower operating voltages, faster switching speeds, and higher contrast - an industry worth more than $60 billion/yr. - in a world with more LCDs than people.