Orientational Order of Chain Forming Ferroelectric Nano Particles in Heptane .

ORAL

Abstract

Previous computational work [1] has shown that under the appropriate conditions, dipolar spheres aggregate and form chains. In this report, we study nano-sized ferroelectric BaTiO$_{3 }$particles dispersed in heptane. We demonstrate dependence of the particles organization in the colloid \textit{vs.} particles size and concentration. When the particles are large ($>$40 nm) they sediment to the bottom of the solution; smaller particles ($\sim $10-15 nm) form gels or networks that do not sediment. Probing particle organization by means of freeze fracture electron microscopy reveals that at small sizes ferroelectric particles form a network of chains of particles that have local nematic like order. We compare our observations with the described in literature predictions. [1] J. Weis, D. Levesque Phys. Rev. Lett. 71, 2729 (1993).

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Authors

  • Ramsey Majzoub

    Physics Department, University of Colorado at Boulder

  • Loren Hough

    Physics Department, University of Colorado at Boulder, LCMRC, Physics Department, University of Colorado, Boulder

  • Cheol Park

    Department of Physics and Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, U.S.A, Physics Department, University of Colorado at Boulder

  • Joseph Maclennan

    Department of Physics and Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, U.S.A, Department of Physics and Liquid Crystal Material Research Center, University of Colorado at Boulder, Physics Department, University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, University of Colorado

  • Noel Clark

    Department of Physics and Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, U.S.A, Physics Department, University of Colorado at Boulder

  • Anatoliy Glushchenko

    Physics Department, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs