Joonwoo Jeong

Confined liquid crystals (LC) provide a unique platform for technological applications and for the study of LC properties, such as bulk elasticity, surface anchoring, and topological defects. In this work, lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals (LCLCs) are confined in spherical droplets, and their director configurations are investigated as a function of mesogen concentration using bright-field and polarized optical microscopy. Because of the unusually small twist elastic modulus of the nematic pha

We study chiral symmetry-broken configurations of nematic liquid crystals (LCs) confined to cylindrical capillaries with homeotropic anchoring on the cylinder walls (i.e., perpendicular surface alignment). Interestingly, achiral nematic LCs with comparatively small twist elastic moduli relieve bend and splay deformations by introducing twist deformations. In the resulting twisted and escaped radial (TER) configuration, LC directors are parallel to the cylindrical axis near the center, but to att

This study introduces liquid crystal (LC) Janus droplets. We describe a process for the preparation of these droplets, which consist of nematic LC and polymer compartments. The process employs solvent-induced phase separation in emulsion droplets generated by microfluidics. The droplet morphology was systematically investigated and demonstrated to be sensitive to the surfactant concentration in the background phase, the compartment volume ratio, and the possible coalescence of multiple Janus dro

We present a simple method with the aid of a microfluidic droplet-generation technique to fabricate magnetic Janus particles by utilizing a solvent evaporation-induced phase separation and preferential partitioning of magnetic nanoparticles in the polymer blends. Non-aqueous emulsion droplets of the polymer blends and nanoparticles solution are produced to become Janus particles after the evaporation of the solvent. The stabilizing polymer of the nanoparticles, which is compatible only with one

We report on the homeotropic alignment of lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals (LCLCs). Homeotropic anchoring of LCLCs is difficult to achieve, and this challenge has limited development of applications for LCLCs. In this work, homeotropic alignment is achieved using noncovalent interactions between the LCLC molecules and various alignment layers including graphene, parylene films, poly(methyl methacrylate) films, and fluoropolymer films. The LCLC molecules are unique in that they self-assemble v

This study introduces cylindrical nematic liquid crystal (LC) shells. Shells as confinement can provide soft matter with intriguing topology and geometry. Indeed, in spherical shells of LCs, rich defect structures have been reported. Avoiding the inherent Plateau-Rayleigh instability of cylindrical liquid-liquid interfaces, we realize the cylindrical nematic LC shell by two different methods: the phase separation in the nematic-isotropic coexistence phase and a cylindrical cavity with a glass ro

We report a study on the confinement-induced transition of the topological defects of liquid crystals (LCs) using smectic-A LCs confined in prolate spheroids with homeotropic anchoring. Upon increasing the aspect ratio of a LC droplet, dispersed in a stretched elastomer film, the topological defect undergoes a transition from a point to a line of which the length is a function of the aspect ratio. Additionally, when the size of a droplet is larger than a certain value, the defect has a pearl-nec

Patterning wrinkles on three-dimensional curved or enclosed surfaces can be challenging due to difficulties in application of uniform films and stresses on such structures. In this study, we demonstrate a simple one-step wrinkle-formation method on various hydrogel structures utilizing the oil-water interfaces. By diffusion of the photoinitiator from the oil phase to the prepolymer solution in water through the interface, a characteristic cross-linking gradient is set up in the hydrogel. Then, a

Nanoconfined waters exhibit low static permittivity mainly due to interfacial effects that span about one nanometer. The characteristic length scale may be much longer in the terahertz (THz) regime where long-range collective dynamics occur; however, the THz dynamics have been largely unexplored because of the lack of a robust platform. Here, we use metallic loop nanogaps to sharply enhance light-matter interactions and precisely measure real and imaginary THz refractive indices of nanoconfined

Hydrodynamic interactions play a role in synchronized motions of coupled oscillators in fluids, and understanding the mechanism will facilitate development of applications in fluid mechanics. For example, synchronization phenomenon in two-phase flow will benefit the design of future microfluidic devices, allowing spatiotemporal control of microdroplet generation without additional integration of control elements. In this work, utilizing a characteristic oscillation of adjacent interfaces between

Thin films that exhibit spatially heterogeneous swelling often buckle into the third dimension to minimize stress. These effects, in turn, offer a promising strategy to fabricate complex three-dimensional structures from two-dimensional sheets. Here we employ surface topography as a new means to guide buckling of swollen polymer bilayer films and thereby control the morphology of resulting three-dimensional objects. Topographic patterns are created on poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) films selectiv

Liquid crystalline phases of matter often exhibit visually stunning patterns or textures. Mostly, these liquid crystal (LC) configurations are uniquely determined by bulk LC elasticity, surface anchoring conditions, and confinement geometry. Here, we experimentally explore defect textures of the smectic LC phase in unique confining geometries with variable curvature. We show that a complex range of director configurations can arise from a single system, depending on sample processing procedures.

We study the effect of purification and impurities on the self-assembly and phase behavior of lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals (LCLCs). LCLC molecules in water stack to form aggregates; then, the elongated nanoaggregates align to make liquid crystalline phases. Utilizing multiple experimental techniques, we unveil impurities in commercial Sunset Yellow FCF (SSY), a representative LCLC, and how the precipitation-based purification promotes the formation of the aggregates and mesophase. We furt

We present the observation of liquid crystals confined in elliptic cylinders. To fabricate the elliptic cylinder, poly(dimethlysiloxane) micro-channels having circular cross sections are stretched uniaxially along the direction of the diameter. Upon increasing the aspect ratio of the elliptic cross section, confined nematic liquid crystals maintain their escaped-radial configuration with homeotropic anchoring. In smectic-A liquid crystals, defect regions of focal conic domains appear as a functi