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Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets

Published on: May 15, 2017

Morphological changes in smectic liquid crystal microstructures.

Daichi Sato^1,2, Yutaka Sumino^1,2,3,4, Takahiro Yamamoto²

¹Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Advanced Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, 6-3-1, Nijuku, Katsusika-ku, Tokyo 125-8585, Japan.

|April 2, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Smectic liquid crystal (LC) microstructures transform from fibers to disc and umbrella shapes with temperature changes. These reversible transitions in 4-cyano-4'-n-octyloxybiphenyl (8OCB) systems offer insights into stimuli-responsive materials.

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Soft Matter Physics
Chemical Engineering

Background:

Liquid crystals (LCs) exhibit unique phase behaviors and self-assembly properties.
Microstructures in LCs can be sensitive to external stimuli like temperature.
Understanding LC morphology is crucial for developing advanced materials.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate temperature-induced morphological transitions in smectic liquid crystal microstructures.
To explore the formation of fiber, disc, and umbrella-like structures in 8OCB-based systems.
To develop a model explaining these observed morphological changes.

Main Methods:

Utilized two systems: 4-cyano-4 -n-octyloxybiphenyl (8OCB)/decanol and 8OCB/cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB).
Observed microstructural morphology changes upon controlled cooling and temperature cycling.
Developed a free-energy model incorporating elastic and topological defect energies.

Main Results:

LC fiber structures formed from droplets upon cooling in both 8OCB systems.
Fibers transitioned to disc-like structures, then to umbrella-like structures.
Reversible transitions between umbrella- and disc-like structures were induced by temperature cycling.

Conclusions:

Temperature changes drive reversible morphological transitions in smectic LC microstructures.
A free-energy model successfully explains the observed shape changes.
Findings suggest principles for designing stimuli-responsive LC materials and inform studies on membraneless organelles.