Discotic liquid crystals of cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7])-functionalised Laponite clays

ABSTRACT

Here we demonstrate that in the presence of the small, barrel-shaped molecule cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) Laponite clay particles undergo a phase transition into a birefringent gel with lamellar structure and a fluid, Laponite-poor aqueous solution. We employ various characterisation methods and polarised light microscopy to study this transition and the system's structural and optical properties. Furthermore, when dried completely we obtain a layered, transparent composite film, still retaining some liquid-crystalline structure that can be rehydrated reversibly. We argue that this new system may be a model system for anisotropic patchy particles.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Keywords:

• Clays
• liquid crystals
• colloidal gel
• cucurbit[n]uril

Acknowledgements

We thank Zewei Li for performing the XRD measurements. We particularly dedicate this work to Daan Frenkel, who contributed to the understanding of the phase behaviour of liquid crystals on such a fundamental level that it is still a pleasure reading his articles.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Erika Eiser http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2881-8157

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Winton Program for Sustainable Physics.