Phase behavior of shape-changing spheroids

Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
P I C Teixeira, Andrew J Masters

Abstract

We introduce a simple model for a biaxial nematic liquid crystal. This consists of hard spheroids that can switch shape between prolate (rodlike) and oblate (platelike) subject to an energy penalty Δε. The spheroids are approximated as hard Gaussian overlap particles and are treated at the level of Onsager's second-virial description. We use both bifurcation analysis and a numerical minimization of the free energy to show that, for additive particle shapes, (i) there is no stable biaxial phase even for Δε=0 (although there is a metastable biaxial phase in the same density range as the stable uniaxial phase) and (ii) the isotropic-to-nematic transition is into either one of two degenerate uniaxial phases, rod rich or plate rich. We confirm that even a small amount of shape nonadditivity may stabilize the biaxial nematic phase.

References

Jan 1, 1989·Physical Review A: General Physics·B Mulder
Jul 1, 1996·Physical Review. E, Statistical Physics, Plasmas, Fluids, and Related Interdisciplinary Topics·D J CleaverM P Neal
Dec 1, 1996·Physical Review. E, Statistical Physics, Plasmas, Fluids, and Related Interdisciplinary Topics·J W PerramJ L Lebowitz
Sep 21, 2002·Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics·Szabolcs VargaGeorge Jackson
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Sep 28, 2010·Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics·M V GorkunovJ K Vij

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Citations

Oct 27, 2017·Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics : PCCP·T B T ToG R Luckhurst

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