TY - JOUR
T1 - Nematic ordering of polarizable colloidal rods in an external electric field
T2 - Theory and experiment
AU - Troppenz, Thomas
AU - Kuijk, Anke
AU - Imhof, Arnout
AU - Van Blaaderen, Alfons
AU - Dijkstra, Marjolein
AU - Van Roij, René
PY - 2015/7/23
Y1 - 2015/7/23
N2 - We employ the coupled dipole method [B. W. Kwaadgras, et al., J. Chem. Phys., 2011, 135, 134105] to calculate the orientation-dependent interaction of polarizable colloidal rods with an external electric field. We project the angular distribution function of a system of such rods on a quasi-two-dimensional slab, corresponding to the focal plane of a microscope, and show that the 3D nematic order parameter and its measurable projected analogue are very similar. We compare our results to confocal microscopy measurements on the orientation distribution function of systems of polarizable colloidal silica rods in an external electric field, demonstrating reasonably good agreement between theory and experiment without any free fit parameter.
AB - We employ the coupled dipole method [B. W. Kwaadgras, et al., J. Chem. Phys., 2011, 135, 134105] to calculate the orientation-dependent interaction of polarizable colloidal rods with an external electric field. We project the angular distribution function of a system of such rods on a quasi-two-dimensional slab, corresponding to the focal plane of a microscope, and show that the 3D nematic order parameter and its measurable projected analogue are very similar. We compare our results to confocal microscopy measurements on the orientation distribution function of systems of polarizable colloidal silica rods in an external electric field, demonstrating reasonably good agreement between theory and experiment without any free fit parameter.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84939857208&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1039/c5cp01478f
DO - 10.1039/c5cp01478f
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84939857208
SN - 1463-9076
VL - 17
SP - 22423
EP - 22430
JO - Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
JF - Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
IS - 34
ER -