Liquid Crystal
New Publication in Energy & Environmental Science
11/12/24 12:30
Congratulations to Yansong, Jan, alumni Rijeesh and Hakam, and our collaborators in the Laboratory for Photovoltaics for their recent publication, "Arbitrary and active colouring of solar cells with negligible loss of efficiency", in Energy & Environmental Science! As part of the FNR-funded project LETZCOLOR, this recent work explores the use of polymerized liquid crystals to beautify solar cell panels without any cost to the performance of the panels.
The article is free to access and read; a very nice way to end the year!
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The article is free to access and read; a very nice way to end the year!
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New Publication
03/10/22 14:08
Congrats to Yong, Rijeesh and Jan for the publication on Nature materials. They explore cholesteric liquid crystal elastomer fibres for mechanochromic textiles in this paper.
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New Publication
02/03/22 10:59
New Publication! Congrats to our alumnus Anjali, Deepak Gupta, Giusy Scalia, and Jan for recent publication on Physical Review Research about Lipid islands on liquid crystal shells.
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New Publication
02/12/21 19:08
Congrats to Katrin and Jan, ESMP alumna Catherine, and collaborators Lukas Pschyklenk and Peter Kaul for a recent paper in Cell Reports Physical Science on some quantitative gas sensing with liquid crystal-filled fibres.
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Congratulations to Shameek
09/10/21 12:04
Congratulations to Dr. Shameek Vats who successfully defended his Ph.D thesis on Friday.
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New article in Crystals!
05/08/21 23:06
Many congratulations to JungHyun and Jan for recent article "Topological Defect-Guided Regular Stacking of Focal Conic Domains in Hybrid-Aligned Smectic Liquid Crystal Shells" published in Crystals. Article is open access.
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New article in Crystals!
16/06/21 20:04
Many congratulations to Larry and the team for the latest article "Measuring the Anisotropy in Interfacial Tension of Nematic Liquid Crystals" published in Crystals.
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Congratulations to Anjali!
14/06/21 11:08
Congratulations to Anjali who recently defended her Ph.D thesis on "Liquid Crystal Shells: from Physics Mysteries, via Chemistry Challenges, to Biosensing Opportunities”.
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Catherine's Image got selected for FNR Science Image Competition
20/10/20 11:58
Catherine's images are being displayed by FNR at Place Auguste Laurent, Limpertsberg. Discover the beautiful science of Luxembourg at the FNR Science Image expo! Place Auguste Laurent, Limpertsberg.
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ESMP in letzscience
20/10/20 11:58
Anjali's image got featured for FNR campaign "letzscience", raising awareness of Luxembourg research by blending science images with Augmented Reality (AR). Each image features a story with an example of Luxembourg research connected to the image. Access the full story here: https://letzscience.fnr.lu/liquid-crystals-a-shape-shifting-object-of-study
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Congratulations Camila!
20/10/20 11:17
Many congratulations to Camila and Jan for recent article " Interrogating helical nanorod self-assembly with fractionated cellulose nanocrystal suspensions" published in Communications Materials. Article is open access.
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New article in Advanced Functional Materials!
20/12/19 18:14
Congratulations to Rijeesh and the team for the new article "Facile Anisotropic Deswelling Method for Realizing Large‐Area Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Elastomers with Uniform Structural Color and Broad‐Range Mechanochromic Response" published in Advanced Functional Materials.
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Congratulations to Larry!
03/09/19 16:26
Congratulations to Larry, Shameek, Manos, and Jan on their recent publication, "Elastic Sheath–Liquid Crystal Core Fibres Achieved by Microfluidic Wet Spinning" published recently in the Journal of Materials Chemistry C!
In this article, they present the wet spinning of core–sheath liquid crystal-filled elastomer fibers using a microfluidic spinneret adapted from the normal techniques they use to produce shells and droplets. In particular, when we spin fibers containing a cholesteric liquid crystal, the result showing brilliant reflected colors as a result of the liquid crystal alignment within the fiber core. These fibers can be highly stretchable and show color changes upon heating and cooling.
You can access the article here.
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In this article, they present the wet spinning of core–sheath liquid crystal-filled elastomer fibers using a microfluidic spinneret adapted from the normal techniques they use to produce shells and droplets. In particular, when we spin fibers containing a cholesteric liquid crystal, the result showing brilliant reflected colors as a result of the liquid crystal alignment within the fiber core. These fibers can be highly stretchable and show color changes upon heating and cooling.
You can access the article here.
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Congratulations to Anjali!
03/09/19 16:04
Congratulations to Anjali, Jampani, and Jan on their new article published in Langmuir: "Realignment of liquid crystal shells driven by temperature-dependent surfactant solubility"
This is the study of nematic LC shells stabilized by temperature responsive surfactant. Study shows how one can change the alignment of LC just by varying the temperature. Click here for the full article.
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This is the study of nematic LC shells stabilized by temperature responsive surfactant. Study shows how one can change the alignment of LC just by varying the temperature. Click here for the full article.
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Anjali gets featured on FNR's Spotlight on Young Researchers!
28/06/19 17:47
Our Ph.D student Anjali Sharma was featured on FNR's Spotlight on Young Researchers blog! 
Anjali works on forming liquid crystal shells and she works on trying to stabilize them using different surfactants and polymers.
Anjali and the team (Jampani, Nikolay and Jan from our group) + others from Prof. Ralf Stannarius's group in Magdeburg, Germany, observed LC shell behavior in a micro gravity environment made possible through several parabolic flights initiated in a plane provided by the German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Read about & see her experience here on the FNR's site: Spotlight on Young Researchers: Anjali Sharma
Anjali works on forming liquid crystal shells and she works on trying to stabilize them using different surfactants and polymers.
Anjali and the team (Jampani, Nikolay and Jan from our group) + others from Prof. Ralf Stannarius's group in Magdeburg, Germany, observed LC shell behavior in a micro gravity environment made possible through several parabolic flights initiated in a plane provided by the German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Read about & see her experience here on the FNR's site: Spotlight on Young Researchers: Anjali Sharma
Anjali’s PhD is funded by the FNR’s PRIDE programme in the framework of the Doctoral Training Unit (DTU) MASSENA, which has the goal to improve the understanding and the performance of materials used in sensing and energy harvesting
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New Study on 5CB-Ethanol Phase Separation in Soft Matter + Cover!
29/06/19 17:18
Congratulations to Catherine and Jan on the new publication RSC's Soft Matter:
"Isotropic-Isotropic phase separation and spinodal decomposition in liquid crystal-solvent mixtures" experimentally & theoretically reveals evidence of coexisting isotropic phases in simple mixtures of ethanol, 5CB, and water. Even though the nematic LC 5CB is arguably the most studied commercial liquid crystal worldwide, for the first time this study highlights experimental evidence of spinodal decomposition and nucleation and growth occuring between two isotropic phases and a single nematic phase between this common compound and equally common solvents.
"Isotropic-Isotropic phase separation and spinodal decomposition in liquid crystal-solvent mixtures" experimentally & theoretically reveals evidence of coexisting isotropic phases in simple mixtures of ethanol, 5CB, and water. Even though the nematic LC 5CB is arguably the most studied commercial liquid crystal worldwide, for the first time this study highlights experimental evidence of spinodal decomposition and nucleation and growth occuring between two isotropic phases and a single nematic phase between this common compound and equally common solvents.
(Click the image below to visit the article:
All supplementary info is open access!)
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Free access to recently published article!
08/01/19 19:54
Happy new year! Starting this year with free access to our recently published article “Influence of head group and chain length of surfactants used for stabilising liquid crystal shells”. It's free for first 50 readers. Enjoy reading.
Here is the link:
https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/IYDnU3EmF4siHuDtK3Km/full
Here is the link:
https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/IYDnU3EmF4siHuDtK3Km/full