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Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
Published on: May 15, 2017
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Predicting the orientation of lipid cubic phase films
Samuel J Richardson1, Paul A Staniec, Gemma E Newby
1Department of Chemistry, University of Reading , Reading, Berkshire, RG6 6AD, United Kingdom.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|October 28, 2014
Summary
Lipid cubic phase films adopt specific crystallographic orientations to minimize interfacial energy. This finding, confirmed by grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GI-SAXS), advances understanding of these important materials.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Crystallography
- Surface Science
Background:
- Lipid cubic phase films are crucial for electrochemical sensors and nanostructured metal electrodeposition.
- Understanding their crystallographic orientation is key to optimizing their performance.
- Previous studies have not fully elucidated the driving forces behind film orientation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the factors governing the crystallographic orientation of lipid cubic phase films.
- To demonstrate that interfacial energy minimization dictates film orientation.
- To validate a theoretical approach for predicting this orientation.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GI-SAXS) to experimentally determine film orientation.
- Developing and applying a theoretical model to predict the lowest energy crystallographic orientation.
- Comparing experimental GI-SAXS data with theoretical predictions.
Main Results:
- Lipid cubic phase films exhibit a high degree of crystallographic orientation on planar substrates.
- Experimental data for both double diamond and gyroid phases align with theoretical predictions.
- The [111] direction for the double diamond phase and [110] for the gyroid phase were found to be perpendicular to the substrate, corresponding to lowest energy facets.
Conclusions:
- Crystallographic orientation in lipid cubic phase films is primarily governed by the minimization of interfacial energy.
- The developed theoretical approach accurately predicts the observed orientations.
- This work provides fundamental insights into the self-assembly and behavior of lipid cubic phases, with implications for their applications.
