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Phase separation of a nematic liquid crystal in the self-assembly of lysozyme in a drying aqueous solution drop

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2019

Anusuya Pal ,
Amalesh Gope ,
Rumani Kafle  and
Germano S. Iannacchione
Anusuya Pal
Affiliation:
Order-Disorder Phenomena Laboratory, Department of Physics, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609, USA
Amalesh Gope
Affiliation:
Department of English and Foreign Languages, Tezpur University, Tezpur, Assam 784028, India
Rumani Kafle
Affiliation:
Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science at WPI, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
Germano S. Iannacchione*
Affiliation:
Order-Disorder Phenomena Laboratory, Department of Physics, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609, USA
*
Address all correspondence to Germano S. Iannacchione at [email protected]
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Abstract

This paper discusses the unique patterns evolved through phase separation of a bulk liquid crystal (LC) from the self-assembly of lysozyme induced by evaporation of de-ionized water only. Each domain shows a central dark region surrounded by bright regions (randomly oriented LC droplets). The birefringence intensity reveals three regimes (a slow increase, rapid rise, then saturation) not seen without LC droplets. The textural study exhibits a simple exponential behavior that changes as a function of LC concentration. Furthermore, in the presence of LC, the crack patterns are found to be different near the drop edge than those in the central region.

Type
Research Letters
Information
MRS Communications , Volume 9 , Issue 1 , March 2019 , pp. 150 - 158
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2019 

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Footnotes

A video of the time evolution of the drying process is available in Supplementary section.

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