Regensburg 2022 – scientific programme
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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik
CPP 23: Complex Fluids and Soft Matter 1 (joint session DY/CPP)
CPP 23.9: Talk
Wednesday, September 7, 2022, 11:45–12:00, H18
Structure of nematic hard rod tactoids — •Anja Kuhnhold1 and Paul van der Schoot2 — 1University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany — 2Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Droplets of ordered phases of anisotropic particles take on specific shapes and internal structures. Compared to droplets of spherical particles, tactoids are elongated with cusp-like tips. Several parameters dictate the overall shape and structure: density of the system, elastic constants of the particles, anchoring strength, interfacial tension, and volume of the tactoid. [1]
We compare Monte Carlo simulation results of hard rod tactoids in a bath of spherical ghost particles to predictions from a scaling theory. We focus on small tactoids where the macroscopic scaling description might break down. We find that smaller tactoids have a more uniform director field than larger tactoids. Also, the segment density increases towards the tactoid tips in agreement with the theory. In addition, we find further density modulations when the average density increases.
Besides, we test the effect of an aligning field on the shape and structure of the tactoids and find that the director field becomes more uniform and the aspect ratio increases, but not to a vast extent. [2]
[1] P. Prinsen, P. van der Schoot, EPJ E 13, 35 (2004).
[2] A. Kuhnhold, P. van der Schoot, JCP 156, 104501 (2022).