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Theoretical study of the anomalous surface tension properties of liquid crystals

Theoretical study of the anomalous surface tension properties of liquid crystals
Theoretical study of the anomalous surface tension properties of liquid crystals
We study the surface properties of a molecular model of a liquid crystal using a density functional theory. The intermolecular interaction includes a Maier-Saupe term as well as terms which break the orientational symmetry at the interface. These latter contributions prove to play an essential role in the explanation of some of the anomalous surface-tension features observed in experimental systems. In particular, a dramatic surface tension maximum above the clearing point TNI is seen to be associated with increased nematic order close to the nematic-vapor interface. In addition, further reduction of the surface tension with decreasing temperature below TNI is observed to be related either with rapidly increasing surface-enhanced order, in which case there is a surface tension minimum, or with growing surface smectic order above the nematic-smectic transition temperature.
0021-9606
2583-2593
Martínez-Ratón, Y.
31875a91-188b-4ae8-9289-aba409746e60
Velasco, E.
a05d7ede-062e-4139-861b-8dc035b4bef3
Somoza, A.M.
93949ea8-c14f-4a56-b223-9663423f0a08
Mederos, L.
77a6633b-c6b5-4a5c-8be0-74b09352dfb6
Sluckin, T.J.
8dbb6b08-7034-4ae2-aa65-6b80072202f6
Martínez-Ratón, Y.
31875a91-188b-4ae8-9289-aba409746e60
Velasco, E.
a05d7ede-062e-4139-861b-8dc035b4bef3
Somoza, A.M.
93949ea8-c14f-4a56-b223-9663423f0a08
Mederos, L.
77a6633b-c6b5-4a5c-8be0-74b09352dfb6
Sluckin, T.J.
8dbb6b08-7034-4ae2-aa65-6b80072202f6

Martínez-Ratón, Y., Velasco, E., Somoza, A.M., Mederos, L. and Sluckin, T.J. (1998) Theoretical study of the anomalous surface tension properties of liquid crystals. The Journal of Chemical Physics, 108 (6), 2583-2593. (doi:10.1063/1.475643).

Record type: Article

Abstract

We study the surface properties of a molecular model of a liquid crystal using a density functional theory. The intermolecular interaction includes a Maier-Saupe term as well as terms which break the orientational symmetry at the interface. These latter contributions prove to play an essential role in the explanation of some of the anomalous surface-tension features observed in experimental systems. In particular, a dramatic surface tension maximum above the clearing point TNI is seen to be associated with increased nematic order close to the nematic-vapor interface. In addition, further reduction of the surface tension with decreasing temperature below TNI is observed to be related either with rapidly increasing surface-enhanced order, in which case there is a surface tension minimum, or with growing surface smectic order above the nematic-smectic transition temperature.

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Published date: 1998

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 29572
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/29572
ISSN: 0021-9606
PURE UUID: 6a1198a0-1b43-404a-9f96-5af21110cde8
ORCID for T.J. Sluckin: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-9163-0061

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Date deposited: 14 Mar 2007
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 02:32

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Contributors

Author: Y. Martínez-Ratón
Author: E. Velasco
Author: A.M. Somoza
Author: L. Mederos
Author: T.J. Sluckin ORCID iD

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