Liquid crystal ferrosuspensions (LCFs) were obtained by inclusion of magnetic microparticles in a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) at mass fractions of up to 20%. The phase transition of the NLC promotes the formation of a space filling particle network and an enhancement of the mechanical properties. Polarized optical microscopy (POM) and differential scanning calorimetry were used to study microparticle network formation. POM images show that an anisotropic particle structure formed when an external magnetic field was applied, whereas a quasihomogeneous cellular network is obtained in the absence of the field. A jump in the viscoelastic moduli at the isotropic-nematic transition temperature of the NLC was observed for all particle concentrations and applied magnetic fields. Experimental results also showed that the rheological response of the LCFs increased with magnetic field and tend to saturate at high fields. A linear relation between the particle mass fraction and the saturation value of the storage modulus was found.

Past studies have reported that colloids of a single size dispersed in the isotropic phase of a mesogenic solvent can form colloid-rich networks (and gels) upon thermal quenching of the system across the isotropic-nematic phase boundary of the mesogens. Herein we report the observation and characterization of complex hierarchical microstructures that form when bidisperse colloidal suspensions of nanoparticles (NPs; iron oxide with diameters of 188 ± 20 nm or poly(methyl methacrylate) with diameters of 150 ± 15 nm) and microparticles (MPs; polystyrene with diameters of 2.77 ± 0.20 μm) are dispersed in the isotropic phase of 4-pentyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl (5CB) and thermally quenched. Specifically, we document microstructuring that results from three sequential phase separation processes that occur at distinct temperatures during stepwise cooling of the ternary mixture from its miscibility region. The first phase transition demixes the system into coexisting MP-rich and NP-rich phases; the second promotes formation of a particle network within the MP-rich phase; and the third, which coincides with the isotropic-to-nematic phase transition of 5CB, produces a second colloidal network within the NP-rich phase. We quantified the dynamics of each demixing process by using optical microscopy and Fourier transform image analysis to establish that the phase transitions occur through (i) surface-directed spinodal decomposition, (ii) spinodal decomposition, and (iii) nucleation and growth, respectively. Significantly, the observed series of phase transitions leads to a hierarchical organization of cellular microstructures not observed in colloid-in-liquid crystal gels formed from monodisperse colloids. The results of this study suggest new routes to the synthesis of colloidal materials with hierarchical microstructures that combine large surface areas and organized porosity with potential applications in catalysis, separations, chemical sensing, or tissue engineering.

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Due to the limited amount of oil reserves, it is essential to ensure the efficient use of available energy, which is closely linked to the optimal design of electrical devices. Because these devices work with electrical energy, they cannot avoid having discrete heat generating sources and their design depends on the precise determination of the temperature field in the body. In this work, the integral method of Green's functions is used to determine the three-dimensional temperature distribution of a homogeneous medium due to a rectangular waveshaped heat generation source. The geometry of the heat generation has been selected in such a way that it has the typical shape of the commercially available flexible electric heaters. The solution obtained is exact and mathematically simple. To demonstrate the versatility of the results, this analytical solution has been compared with the purely numerical solution obtained using a computer package widely used in engineering (COMSOL Multiphysics). The analytical and numerical results coincide well in all the evaluated ranges. Using the equation obtained in this work, a procedure is proposed to determine the effective thermal conductivity of a material from the experimental data of temperature and position. The results of this research offer a simple way to calculate the thermal conductivity of a material and can be applied in the design of thermo-optical devices, flexible electric heaters or thermo-adjustable microfluidic devices.