Advanced composites

One of the longer-term aims of our research is to create composite materials with advanced functionality, e.g. high-strength light-weight composites or materials with unique optical properties, based on liquid crystalline self-assembly. To turn the liquid crystal into a solid composite we can either polymerize a precursor within the liquid crystal, or we evaporate the solvent of a lyotropic liquid crystal. Or both processes can be used in concert. The motivation is the enhanced physical properties that may be expected if we can capture the long-range ordered structure of liquid crystal throughout the volume of the composite.


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