ZnO/Liquid Crystalline Nanohybrids: From Properties in Solution to Anisotropic Growth

Abstract

Branched thermotropic liquid crystals (LCs) were successfully used as stabilizers for the synthesis of isotropic photoluminescent ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) in solution. (1)H NMR spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry experiments demonstrate the existence of specific interactions between the LC and both the ZnO precursor and ZnO NPs. This offers the possibility for some branched molecules to act as structurally ordered hosts for the anisotropic growth of ZnO NPs.

Liquid Crystalline Polymers as Tools for the Formation of Nanohybrids

“…Ag NPs (5-30 nm) Barmatov et al (2004) Ag Nps (5 nm) Dasgupta et al (2013) Au NPs (3-50 nm) Gascon et al (2005) AuNPs (2-5 nm) Nguyen et al (2014) ZnO Nanoworms Nanowires Saliba et al (2011Saliba et al ( , 2012 and Table 21.1). A silver-olefin complex was first mixed with a solution of polymer in THF and the solvent was then evaporated.…”

“…In these cases the main issues concern the difficulties to perform chemistry in a LC medium without disrupting the LC order. These difficulties can be circumvented by using physical methods, by using LC as a reactant or Saliba et al (2011Saliba et al ( , 2012 even by diffusion of reactants in a gas phase within the LC structure. By this strategy, LC polymers/elastomers have demonstrated their specific and critical role (comparatively to small LC molecules) to achieve a control over NPs growth and over their final morphology.…”

“…A new strategy to improve the control of NP growth within the LC mesophase has been published by S. Saliba et al (2011Saliba et al ( , 2012. This approach involved the in situ hydrolysis of dicyclohexylzinc, [Zn(Cy 2 )] leading to ZnO NPs with volatile cyclohexane as the unique side product.…”

Self-Assembly of Unfunctionalized Nanoparticles in Crystallization of Liquid Crystal Trimers

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] The reviews report that the interactions among nanoparticles in nematic LCs become highly anisotropic, enabling the development of the spontaneous self-assembly of nanoparticles. 1 3 4 The LC-nanoparticle blends are of importance in connection with novel hybrid materials.…”

One‐Step Synthesis of Hybrid Liquid–Crystal ZnO Nanoparticles: Existence of a Critical Temperature Associated with the Anisotropy of the Nanoparticles

“…[9,[12][13][14] For severaly ears, we have developed the preparation of metalo xide NPs taking advantage of the exothermic hydrolysis reactiono fo rganometallic precursors to get, in one step and underm ild conditions (room temperature and atmospheric pressure), well-definedc rystalline metal oxide NPs. [19,20] Herein, to gain further insights aboutt he NPs growth mechanism withouts olventi nt he presence of fatty amine, we have investigated the effect of the temperature and composition upon the morphologyo fZ nO NPs and upon the structural and optical properties of the obtained hybrid materials.A ss tated above, the synthesiso fZ nO NPs studied herei sv ery simple and involved just fattya mines. eitheri sotropic NPs or nanorods) has been achievedb yv arying the experimental conditions:i sotropic NPs are obtainedi nt he presence of alkyl chain amine ligandsi na no rganic solvent while nanorods are obtained under the same experimental conditions but in the absence of solvent.…”