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Updated: Apr 11, 2026

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
Published on: May 15, 2017
Lipid Liquid-Crystal Phase Change Induced through near-Infrared Irradiation of Entrained Graphene Particles
Matthew D J Quinn1, Joanne Du2, Ben J Boyd2
1†Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122, Australia.
Abstract:
Lipid packing is intimately related to the geometry of the lipids and the forces that drive self-assembly. Here, the photothermal response of a cubic liquid-crystalline phase formed using phytantriol in the presence of low concentrations of pristine graphene was evaluated. Small-angle X-ray scattering showed the reversible phase changes from cubic to hexagonal to micellar due to localized heating through irradiation with near-infrared (NIR) light and back to cubic after cooling.

