Synthesis of Liquid Crystal Silane-Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles and Their Effects on the Optical and Electro-Optic Properties of a Structurally Related Nematic Liquid Crystal
Chemically and thermally robust liquid crystal silane‐functionalized gold nanoparticles (i.e. AuNP1–AuNP3) were synthesized through silane conjugation. Colloidal dispersions of these particles with mesogenic ligands that are structurally identical (as in AuNP1, AuNP2) or compatible (as in AuNP3) wit...
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Published in | Chemphyschem Vol. 15; no. 7; pp. 1381 - 1394 |
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Main Authors | , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Weinheim
WILEY-VCH Verlag
19.05.2014
WILEY‐VCH Verlag Wiley Wiley Subscription Services, Inc |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Chemically and thermally robust liquid crystal silane‐functionalized gold nanoparticles (i.e. AuNP1–AuNP3) were synthesized through silane conjugation. Colloidal dispersions of these particles with mesogenic ligands that are structurally identical (as in AuNP1, AuNP2) or compatible (as in AuNP3) with molecules of the nematic liquid crystal (N‐LC) host showed superior colloidal stability and dispersibility. The thermal, optical, and electro‐optic behaviors of the N‐LC composites at different concentrations of each gold nanoparticle were investigated. All dispersions showed lower values for the rotational viscosity and elastic constant, but only AuNP3 with a dissimilar structure between the nanoparticle ligand and the host displayed the most drastic thermal effects and overall strongest impact on the electro‐optic properties of the host. The observed results were explained considering both the structure and the density of the surface ligands of each gold nanoparticle.
Stable silane shell to the rescue: Thermally and chemically robust gold nanoparticles (NPs) capped with mesogenic groups through silane conjugation show very distinct optical and electro‐optic effects in a nematic liquid crystal. Surprisingly, capping a NP with a mesogen that is structurally dissimilar to that of the host has the most drastic effect on the electro‐optic properties of the host. |
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Bibliography: | NSERC Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft - No. KI 411 Manitoba Research and Innovation Fund ark:/67375/WNG-16SF70VX-S istex:13AF26D9C0677B29284E438181FFA625EBB00C6F ArticleID:CPHC201301052 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Canada Foundation for Innovation European Science Foundation ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 1439-4235 1439-7641 |
DOI: | 10.1002/cphc.201301052 |