Event
MSE Seminar: Dr. Luz Martinez-Miranda, UMD
Wednesday, September 6, 2023
3:30 p.m.
2118 Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Building
Sherri Tatum
301-405-5240
statum12@umd.edu
Nanowire Structure of Liquid Crystals Due to a Rough Interface
Abstract: We investigate in this talk the effect of the buried interface has on the structure liquid crystal small molecule, which facilitates charge transfer. The liquid crystals have the property of self alignment that distinguishes them from other organic molecules. This property applies to the single molecule and the polymer liquid crystal. The rough interface has been prepared such that the liquid crystal aligns parallel to the surface of the interface. The parallel alignment includes the imperfections or openings in the rough interface that have depths that vary between 10 and 1000nm. The imperfections of this interface are similar to cylindrical tubes or containers. There are many ways that the liquid crystal can go parallel inside the imperfections, but there is always a way that costs less energy to the system. This can be determined through theoretical work. Once we have such orientation, we add the liquid crystals parallel to the interface and because they self-align, the liquid crystals that are in the next layer away from the interface will align following the molecules parallel to the interface. They will fill eventually the opening or imperfection up to its center, where there will be a defect. When the electrons and the holes separate at the interface they will have a way to move through the overlap of the orbitals in this structure of parallel molecules, and eventually reach the electrodes and add to the efficiency. We discuss also how grazing angle X-ray scattering can be used together with other characterization techniques to give us information about the alignment of the liquid crystals.
