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arXiv · 1905.01149

Threading the spindle: a geometric study of chiral liquid crystal polymer microparticles

H. S. Ansell·D. S. Kim·R. D. Kamien·E. Katifori·T. Lopez-Leon
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Abstract

Polymeric particles are strong candidates for designing artificial materials capable of emulating the complex twisting-based functionality observed in biological systems. In this letter, we provide the first detailed investigation of the swelling behavior of bipolar polymer liquid crystalline microparticles. Deswelling from the spherical bipolar configuration causes the microparticle to contract anisotropically and twist in the process, resulting in a twisted spindle shaped structure. We propose a model to describe the observed spiral patterns and twisting behavior.

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H. S. Ansell, D. S. Kim, R. D. Kamien, E. Katifori, T. Lopez-Leon. 2019-05-03. Threading the spindle: a geometric study of chiral liquid crystal polymer microparticles. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.123.157801

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