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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Orientation And Surface Anchoring Of Nematic Liquid Crystals On Linearly Polymerized Photopolymers, H. G. Galabova, David W. Allender, J. Chen
Orientation And Surface Anchoring Of Nematic Liquid Crystals On Linearly Polymerized Photopolymers, H. G. Galabova, David W. Allender, J. Chen
David W Allender
The liquid crystal orientation on a poly(vinyl cinnamate) or poly(vinyl 4-methoxy-cinnamate) coated solid substrate exposed to linearly polarized UV light has been studied. The angular distribution of the polymer side chains and the photoreaction products was derived as a function of exposure time using a simple assumption about the probability for crosslinking of two side chains. The liquid crystal was assumed to be weakly anchored to the surface but have a degree of order and orientation determined from those of the polymer side chains. The polar and the azimuthal surface coefficients were estimated as a function of exposure time using …
A Cellulose Liquid Crystal Motor: A Steam Engine Of The Second Kind, Yong Geng, Pedro Lucio Almeida, Cheng Cheng, Peter Palffy-Muhoray, Maria Helena Godinho, Susete Nogueira Fernandes
A Cellulose Liquid Crystal Motor: A Steam Engine Of The Second Kind, Yong Geng, Pedro Lucio Almeida, Cheng Cheng, Peter Palffy-Muhoray, Maria Helena Godinho, Susete Nogueira Fernandes
Peter Palffy-Muhoray
The salient feature of liquid crystal elastomers and networks is strong coupling between orientational order and mechanical strain. Orientational order can be changed by a wide variety of stimuli, including the presence of moisture. Changes in the orientation of constituents give rise to stresses and strains, which result in changes in sample shape. We have utilized this effect to build soft cellulose-based motor driven by humidity. The motor consists of a circular loop of cellulose film, which passes over two wheels. When humid air is present near one of the wheels on one side of the film, with drier air …
Effect Of Director Distortions On Morphologies Of Phase Separation In Liquid Crystals, D. Voloschenko, Oleg P. Pishnyak, Sergij V. Shiyanovskii, Oleg Lavrentovich
Effect Of Director Distortions On Morphologies Of Phase Separation In Liquid Crystals, D. Voloschenko, Oleg P. Pishnyak, Sergij V. Shiyanovskii, Oleg Lavrentovich
Oleg Lavrentovich
We study phase separation from a nematic liquid crystal with spatially nonuniform director gradients. Particles of a phase-separated component, which is either an isotropic fluid (silicone oil) or a nonmesogenic photopolymer, accumulate in the regions with the strongest director distortions, thus reducing the overall energy of the system.
Anchoring-Mediated Interaction Of Edge Dislocations With Bounding Surfaces In Confined Cholesteric Liquid Crystals, Ivan I. Smalyukh, Oleg Lavrentovich
Anchoring-Mediated Interaction Of Edge Dislocations With Bounding Surfaces In Confined Cholesteric Liquid Crystals, Ivan I. Smalyukh, Oleg Lavrentovich
Oleg Lavrentovich
We employ the fluorescent confocal polarizing microscopy to image edge dislocations in cholesteric liquid crystals. Surface anchoring at the bounding plates determines the structure and behavior of defects. Two types of plates set in-plane director orientation but differ in the type of associated anchoring potentials. Plates with strong polar anchoring and nonzero azimuthal anchoring repel the dislocations, while plates with weak polar anchoring and no azimuthal anchoring allow the dislocations to escape through the boundary. To explain the results, we propose a coarse-grained model of cholesteric anchoring.
Light-Induced Changes Of Optical And Electrical Properties In Bent-Core Azo Compounds, Antal Jakli, V. Prasad, D.S.S. Rao, Guangxun Liao, I. Janossy
Light-Induced Changes Of Optical And Electrical Properties In Bent-Core Azo Compounds, Antal Jakli, V. Prasad, D.S.S. Rao, Guangxun Liao, I. Janossy
Antal Jakli
We have studied the optical and electrical properties of two bent-core substances with an azo linkage in their cores. Pump-probe laser studies, direct textural observations, and spectrophotometric recordings show an initial decrease of light transmission, which at larger light intensities (similar to 1 mW/mm(2)) is followed by a bleaching. Simultaneously the electrical properties (electric conductivity, antiferroelectric polarization, switching threshold, and switching time) decreased monotonically with increasing light intensities. The monotonic decrease of electrical properties indicates that the darkening and bleaching have the same origin, namely, the photochemical isomerization of the azo linkage from the trans to the cis isomer. The …
Optical Studies Of The Liquid Crystal B2 Phase Formed By Banana-Shaped Molecules, D. A. Olson, M. Veum, A. Cady, M. V. D'Agostino, P. M. Johnson, H. T. Nguyen, Liang-Chy Chien, C. C. Huang
Optical Studies Of The Liquid Crystal B2 Phase Formed By Banana-Shaped Molecules, D. A. Olson, M. Veum, A. Cady, M. V. D'Agostino, P. M. Johnson, H. T. Nguyen, Liang-Chy Chien, C. C. Huang
Liang-Chy Chien
Null-transmission ellipsometry and depolarized light microscopy have been performed on free-standing films of three achiral banana-shaped compounds in the B2 phase. Our results support a two-layer unit cell previously proposed to explain the observed antiferroelectricity in thin films and bulk samples. We have studied thicker films than previously reported and have found no deviations in the film structure from the earlier findings. Moreover, we can determine the layer spacing, the molecular tilt from the layer normal, and the three principal indices of refraction in the molecular reference frame.
Light Induced Structures In Liquid Crystalline Side-Chain Polymers With Azobenzene Functional Groups, O. Yaroschuk, Tatiana Sergan, J. Lindau, S. Lee, J. Kelly, Liang-Chy Chien
Light Induced Structures In Liquid Crystalline Side-Chain Polymers With Azobenzene Functional Groups, O. Yaroschuk, Tatiana Sergan, J. Lindau, S. Lee, J. Kelly, Liang-Chy Chien
Liang-Chy Chien
We applied ellipsometry to study the distribution of azobenzene fragments in the films of two types of comblike polymers with azobenzene moieties in the side chains before and after ultraviolet ~UV! light irradiation. The polymer with an alkyl chain at the end of the azobenzene fragment forms structures with preferred homeotropic alignment of the fragments. Irradiation of this polymer with nonpolarized UV light at normal incidence induces a homeotropic alignment of azobenzene fragments. Oblique irradiation induces tilted structures. Polarized UV light irradiation at normal beam incidence induces biaxial structures with a fanlike distribution of azobenzene fragments and preferably out-of-plane alignment. …
Photoinduced Three-Dimensional Orientational Order In Side Chain Liquid Crystalline Azopolymers, O. Yaroshchuk, K. Kiselev, Yu. Zakrevskyy, T. Bidna, J. Kelly, Liang-Chy Chien, J. Lindau
Photoinduced Three-Dimensional Orientational Order In Side Chain Liquid Crystalline Azopolymers, O. Yaroshchuk, K. Kiselev, Yu. Zakrevskyy, T. Bidna, J. Kelly, Liang-Chy Chien, J. Lindau
Liang-Chy Chien
We apply experimental technique based on the combination of methods dealing with principal refractive indices and absorption coefficients to study the photoinduced three-dimensional (3D) orientational order in the films of liquid crystalline (LC) azopolymers. The technique is used to identify 3D orientational configurations of trans azobenzene chromophores and to characterize the degree of ordering in terms of order parameters. We study two types of LC azopolymers which form structures with preferred in-plane and out-of-plane alignment of azochromophores, respectively. Using irradiation with the polarized light of two different wavelengths, we find that the kinetics of photoinduced anisotropy can be dominated by …
Material-Independent Determination Of Anchoring Properties On Rubbed Polyimide Surfaces, Bharat R. Acharya, Jae-Hoon Kim, Satyendra Kumar
Material-Independent Determination Of Anchoring Properties On Rubbed Polyimide Surfaces, Bharat R. Acharya, Jae-Hoon Kim, Satyendra Kumar
Satyendra Kumar
A material-independent method for determining liquid-crystal (LC) anchoring energy on rubbed polyimide (PI) surfaces has been devised. This method exploits the changes in the easy axis of rubbed PI film induced by exposure to linearly polarized UV (LPUV) Light. The distribution of PI chains in a rubbed film is approximated by a Gaussian function and its width determined from the measured rotation of the LC easy axis as a function of exposure time. A quasimicroscopic free energy of the LC-substrate interface is used to model LC anchoring properties. The experimental and calculated values of the azimuthal anchoring energy are in …
Surface-Induced Discrete Smectic Order In The Isotropic-Phase Of 12cb In Cylindrical Pores, Germano S. Iannacchione, Joseph T. Mang, Satyendra Kumar, Daniele Finotello
Surface-Induced Discrete Smectic Order In The Isotropic-Phase Of 12cb In Cylindrical Pores, Germano S. Iannacchione, Joseph T. Mang, Satyendra Kumar, Daniele Finotello
Satyendra Kumar
No abstract provided.
Surface-Layer Phase-Transitions In Nematic Liquid-Crystals, Natasha Kothekar, David W. Allender, R. M. Hornreich
Surface-Layer Phase-Transitions In Nematic Liquid-Crystals, Natasha Kothekar, David W. Allender, R. M. Hornreich
David W Allender
Surface-layer transitions in nematogenic materials characterized by a preferential planar surface interaction linear in the order parameter have been studied theoretically at temperatures above the bulk transition (T(NI)). The coupled Euler-Lagrange nonlinear differential equations obtained from the Landau-de Gennes free energy were solved exactly by numerical integration. This problem had been studied previously employing various limits and approximations with several differences in the phase diagram reported. The exact results allow one to determine which of these differences are artifacts of the approximations used and which are dependent upon the ratio of elastic constants. It is found, for physically relevant elastic …
Theory Of A Symmetry-Breaking Phase-Transition In A Surface-Layer Of Nematic Liquid-Crystal, Y. L'Vov, R. M. Hornreich, David W. Allender
Theory Of A Symmetry-Breaking Phase-Transition In A Surface-Layer Of Nematic Liquid-Crystal, Y. L'Vov, R. M. Hornreich, David W. Allender
David W Allender
For a surface interaction linear in the order parameter and favoring an orientation in which liquid-crystalline molecules lie parallel to the surface (but which is independent of whether the orientation is uniaxial or isotropic in the bounding plane), a symmetry-breaking phase transition in a surface layer is possible at temperatures above that of the bulk isotropic to nematic transition. At the surface transition, the high-temperature in-plane isotropic state becomes unstable with respect to a biaxial phase, the transition being continuous and therefore of-the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) type, It is expected to occur for intermediate surface couplings but not at very weak …
Inhomogeneities In Yba 2cu 3o 7 Thin Films With Reduced Thickness, O V. Shcherbakova, A V. Pan, S K. Gorman, S A. Fedoseev, I A. Golovchanskiy, S. X. Dou
Inhomogeneities In Yba 2cu 3o 7 Thin Films With Reduced Thickness, O V. Shcherbakova, A V. Pan, S K. Gorman, S A. Fedoseev, I A. Golovchanskiy, S. X. Dou
Shi Xue Dou
Morphology and physical properties of mono- (YBa2Cu3O7) and multilayered (YBa2Cu3O7/SmBa2Cu3O7/ YBa2Cu3O7) superconducting thin films with thickness ranging from 90 nm to 28 nm have been investigated. For both types of samples, the superconducting properties degraded with reduction of film thickness. Structural and electromagnetic properties were visualized through scanning electron microscopy and magneto-optical imaging, respectively, and revealed high level of inhomogeneity for thinner (<58 >nm) samples. However, samples with thickness above 58 nm showed enhanced homogeneity, which …
La And Nb Codoped Bifeo3 Multiferroic Thin Films On Lanio3/Si And Iro2/Si Substrates, Zhenxiang Cheng, Xiaolin Wang, Hideo Kimura, Kiyoshi Ozawa, S X. Dou
La And Nb Codoped Bifeo3 Multiferroic Thin Films On Lanio3/Si And Iro2/Si Substrates, Zhenxiang Cheng, Xiaolin Wang, Hideo Kimura, Kiyoshi Ozawa, S X. Dou
Shi Xue Dou
Nb and La codoped BiFeO3 thin films were fabricated on oxide bottom electrodes, LaNiO3/Si and IrO2/Si, by pulsed laser deposition method. The doped BiFeO3 thin film capacitor on LaNiO3showed a remnant polarization of more than 75 µC/cm2 in a saturated hysteresis loop. The same La and Nb codoped BiFeO3 thin film capacitors on IrO2 showed a larger remnant polarization, while with a significant contribution from the leakage current. Furthermore, the doped BiFeO3 capacitor on the LaNiO3 bottom electrode showed worse fatigue resistance than the film on IrO2. All the doped BiFeO3 thin films showed weak ferromagnetism at room temperature.
Improved Ferroelectric Properties In Multiferroic Bifeo3 Thin Films Through La And Nb Codoping, Zhenxiang Cheng, Xiaolin Wang, S X. Dou, Hideo Kimura, Kiyoshi Ozawa
Improved Ferroelectric Properties In Multiferroic Bifeo3 Thin Films Through La And Nb Codoping, Zhenxiang Cheng, Xiaolin Wang, S X. Dou, Hideo Kimura, Kiyoshi Ozawa
Shi Xue Dou
We report the significant improvement of the ferroelectric properties of BiFeO3thin film through control of electrical leakage by Nb doping. A very large remanent electrical polarization value of 80 µC/cm2 was observed in Bi0.8La0.2Nb0.01Fe0.99O3 thin film on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate. The doping effect of Nb in reducing the movable charge density due to oxygen vacancies in BiFeO3 was confirmed by the dielectric measurements. A very small loss was observed in the Nb and La codoped BiFeO3 thin film. As well as the improvement in the ferroelectric properties, the magnetic moment was also enhanced due to the doping of La.
Kinetic Roughening Of Magnetic Flux Penetration In Mgb2 Thin Films, Andrea Lucarelli, Stephanie Hummert, Andrea Chaney, Gunter Lupke, Brian Moeckly, Yue Zhao, S X. Dou
Kinetic Roughening Of Magnetic Flux Penetration In Mgb2 Thin Films, Andrea Lucarelli, Stephanie Hummert, Andrea Chaney, Gunter Lupke, Brian Moeckly, Yue Zhao, S X. Dou
Shi Xue Dou
Time-resolved magneto-optical studies are performed on MgB2 thin film samples grown by in situ pulsed laser deposition and in situ reactive deposition technique. The latter reveal dendritic avalanche-free flux penetration. The kinetic roughening of magnetic flux penetration is studied for applied ac current. Dynamic scaling laws determined for both static field and ac current are consistent with the directed percolation depinning model, placing the vortex dynamics in MgB2 in the same universality class as YBCO and Nb.
Crosslinking Neat Ultrathin Films And Nanofibres Of Ph-Responsive Poly(Acrylic Acid) By Uv Radiation, Adrian Gestos, Philip G. Whitten, Geoffrey Maxwell Spinks, Gordon G. Wallace
Crosslinking Neat Ultrathin Films And Nanofibres Of Ph-Responsive Poly(Acrylic Acid) By Uv Radiation, Adrian Gestos, Philip G. Whitten, Geoffrey Maxwell Spinks, Gordon G. Wallace
Gordon Wallace
Electrospun polyelectrolyte hydrogel nanofibres are being developed for many applications including artificial muscles, scaffolds for tissue engineering, wound dressings and controlled drug release. For electrospun polyelectrolytes, a post-spinning crosslinking process is necessary for producing a hydrogel. Typically, radiation or thermal crosslinking routines are employed that require multifunctional crosslinking molecules and crosslink reaction initiators (free radical producers). Here, ultraviolet subtype-C (UVC) radiation was employed to crosslink neat poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) nanofibres and films to different crosslink densities. Specific crosslink initiators or crosslinking molecules are not necessary in this fast and simple process providing an advantage for biological applications. Scanning probe microscopy …
Photoelectrochemical Cell Study On Closely Arranged Vertical Nanorod Bundles Of Cdse And Zn Doped Cdse Films, D Soundararajan, J K. Yoon, J S. Kwon, Y I. Kim, S H. Kim, J H. Park, Y J. Kim, D -Y Park, B C. Kim, G G. Wallace, J M. Ko
Photoelectrochemical Cell Study On Closely Arranged Vertical Nanorod Bundles Of Cdse And Zn Doped Cdse Films, D Soundararajan, J K. Yoon, J S. Kwon, Y I. Kim, S H. Kim, J H. Park, Y J. Kim, D -Y Park, B C. Kim, G G. Wallace, J M. Ko
Gordon Wallace
Closely arranged CdSe and Zn doped CdSe vertical nanorod bundles were grown directly on FTO coated glass by using electrodeposition method. Structural analysis by XRD showed the hexagonal phase without any precipitates related to Zn. FE-SEM image showed end capped vertically aligned nanorods arranged closely. From the UV-vis transmittance spectra, band gap energy was found to vary between 1.94 and 1.98 eV due to the incorporation of Zn. Solar cell parameters were obtained by assembling photoelectrochemical cells using CdSe and CdSe:Zn photoanodes, Pt cathode and polysulfide (1M Na2S + 1M S + 1M NaOH) electrolyte. The efficiency was found to …
All-Polymer Battery System Based On Polypyrrole (Ppy)/Para (Toluene Sulfonic Acid) (Pts) And Polypyrrole (Ppy)/Indigo Carmine (Ic) Free Standing Films, Irin Sultana, Md. Mokhlesur Rahman, Jiazhao Wang, Caiyun Wang, Gordon G. Wallace, Hua-Kun Liu
All-Polymer Battery System Based On Polypyrrole (Ppy)/Para (Toluene Sulfonic Acid) (Pts) And Polypyrrole (Ppy)/Indigo Carmine (Ic) Free Standing Films, Irin Sultana, Md. Mokhlesur Rahman, Jiazhao Wang, Caiyun Wang, Gordon G. Wallace, Hua-Kun Liu
Gordon Wallace
In this study, we introduce a novel all-polymer battery system based on conducting polymer (polypyrrole, PPy) doped with dopants of para (toluene sulfonic acid) (pTS) and indigo carmine (IC), respectively. The performance of the systems consisting of polypyrrole-para (toluene sulfonic acid) (PPy-pTS) as cathode and polypyrrole-indigo carmine (PPy-IC) as anode in conjunction with either a polymer based electrolyte or a commercial organic electrolyte of 1M LiPF6 in a 50:50 (v/v) mixture of ethylene carbonate (EC) and dimethyl carbonate (DMC) was evaluated. In the system, all the free-standing PPy-pTS and PPy-IC films were directly used without needing any metal substrate support …
The Role Of Unbound Oligomers In The Nucleation And Growth Of Electrodeposited Polypyrrole And Method For Preparing High Strength, High Conductivity Films, Wen Zheng, Joselito M. Razal, Geoffrey M. Spinks, Van-Tan Truong, Philip G. Whitten, Gordon G. Wallace
The Role Of Unbound Oligomers In The Nucleation And Growth Of Electrodeposited Polypyrrole And Method For Preparing High Strength, High Conductivity Films, Wen Zheng, Joselito M. Razal, Geoffrey M. Spinks, Van-Tan Truong, Philip G. Whitten, Gordon G. Wallace
Gordon Wallace
Polypyrrole is a material with immensely useful properties suitable for a wide range of electrochemical applications, but its development has been hindered by cumbersome manufacturing processes. Here we show that a simple modification to the standard electrochemical polymerization method produces polypyrrole films of equivalently high conductivity and superior mechanical properties in one-tenth of the polymerization time. Preparing the film as a series of electrodeposited layers with thorough solvent washing between layering was found to produce excellent quality films even when layer deposition was accelerated by high current. The washing step between the sequentially polymerized layers altered the deposition mechanism, eliminating …
Synthesis Of Al2tio5 And Its Effect On The Properties Of Chitosan-Nh4scn Polymer Electrolytes, Siti Rohana Majid, Hassan F., Woo H. J., Aziz N. A., Kufian M. Z.
Synthesis Of Al2tio5 And Its Effect On The Properties Of Chitosan-Nh4scn Polymer Electrolytes, Siti Rohana Majid, Hassan F., Woo H. J., Aziz N. A., Kufian M. Z.
Siti Rohana Majid
In this paper, Al2TiO5 ceramic material has been synthesised and used as filler in polymer electrolyte system to enhance the conductivity. The precursor sintered at 1,050 A degrees C and contained 0.08 mole of aluminium nitrate gives the best and complete formation of Al2TiO5. Composite polymer electrolytes of chitosan-NH4SCN containing different amount of home-made Al2TiO5 were prepared by solution casting. The addition of filler has enhanced the conductivity of polymer electrolyte. The sample 57 wt% chitosan-38 wt% NH4SCN-5 wt% Al2TiO5 exhibited the highest electrical conductivity of 2.10 x 10(-4) S cm(-1) at room temperature. The presence of the Al2TiO5 creates …