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Crystals
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Liquid Crystals and Their Applications
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Liquid Crystals and Their Applications

A topical collection in Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352). This collection belongs to the section "Liquid Crystals".

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Editors

Dr. Ana Almeida

E-Mail Website
Collection Editor
1. Department of Chemistry, NOVA School of Science and Technology, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
2. CENIMAT|i3N, Department of Materials Science, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
3. iBET—Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2780-901 Oeiras, Portugal
Interests: cellulose; membranes; active materials; liquid crystals; nature-inspired; fibers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Pedro Marques de Almeida

E-Mail Website
Collection Editor
1. Mechanical Engineering Department, Lisbon Superior Institute of Engineering, Rua Conselheiro Emídio Navarro, 1, 1959-007 Lisboa, Portugal
2. i3N, CENIMAT, Materials Science Department, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, NOVA University of Lisbon, Campus da Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Interests: polymeric materials; liquid crystalline polymers; liquid crystals; liquid crystals applications; electro-optical properties; sensors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ana Catarina Baptista

E-Mail Website
Collection Editor
CENIMAT|I3N, Materials Science Department, NOVA School of Science and Technology, SST NOVA Campus de Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Interests: bioelectronics; functional fibers; e-textiles; smart fabrics; sustainable materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

Liquid crystals (LCs) have become an important part of our daily life and are widely known, for example, due to their application in display technology. New areas of application continue to be discovered due to important improvements, such as in organic synthesis. Given this, this Topical Collection will explore the progress made in LCs in several fields, namely chemistry, physics, engineering, optics, material science and biology, in recent years. Our aim is to encourage scientists to publish their theoretical, experimental and computational research in this open access peer-reviewed Topical Collection of Crystals, “Liquid Crystals and Their Applications”.

This volume aims to enrich the collective knowledge in the liquid crystal field with a commitment to sustainability.

We would be delighted to feature your work and welcome contributions of original research articles, reviews and perspectives.

Dr. Ana Almeida
Prof. Dr. Pedro Marques De Almeida
Dr. Ana Catarina Baptista
Collection Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the collection website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Crystals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • liquid crystals
  • liquid crystal elastomers
  • liquid crystal devices
  • polymers
  • artificial intelligence
  • stimuli-responsive
  • nature-inspired

Published Papers (5 papers)

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2025

Jump to: 2024

16 pages, 612 KiB  
Article
Dissipation of Energy in a Compressible Nematic Microvolume Under Effect of a Temperature Gradient
by Izabela Śliwa, Pavel V. Maslennikov and Alex V. Zakharov
Crystals 2025, 15(3), 235; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15030235 - 28 Feb 2025
Viewed by 354
Abstract
We have carried out a numerical study of hydrodynamic processes in the hybrid-aligned channel of a compressible liquid crystal (HACLC) under the effect of a temperature gradient ∇T applied across a liquid crystal film. Calculations based on the classical Leslie–Ericksen theory showed [...] Read more.
We have carried out a numerical study of hydrodynamic processes in the hybrid-aligned channel of a compressible liquid crystal (HACLC) under the effect of a temperature gradient ∇T applied across a liquid crystal film. Calculations based on the classical Leslie–Ericksen theory showed that under the effect of ∇T, the HACLC sample settles down to a stationary flow regime with both horizontal u and vertical w components of velocity v, and the direction and magnitude of v are strongly effected by the direction of ∇T. Calculations also showed that the relaxation of the stress tensor components σij(z,t)(i,j=x,z) in the hybrid-aligned compressible nematic microvolume is determined by the direction and magnitude of the thermomechanical force. Full article
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2024

Jump to: 2025

11 pages, 1603 KiB  
Article
Photoinduced Interactions in Thin Films of Azo Dyes and Planar-Aligned Nematic Liquid Crystal
by Aleksey Kudreyko, Vladimir Chigrinov and Arina Perestoronina
Crystals 2025, 15(1), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15010022 - 28 Dec 2024
Viewed by 768
Abstract
Properties of surface anchoring depend on the absorbed exposure energy and various potential interactions associated with liquid crystal and azo dye layers. In this study, we investigate a model of dispersion, steric and photoinduced interactions with the goal of providing a qualitative and [...] Read more.
Properties of surface anchoring depend on the absorbed exposure energy and various potential interactions associated with liquid crystal and azo dye layers. In this study, we investigate a model of dispersion, steric and photoinduced interactions with the goal of providing a qualitative and quantitative description of orientationally ordered hard uniaxial liquid crystals and azo dye molecules. By using the Onsager theory, we estimated the effect of excluded volume. Typical repulsive potentials between liquid crystal and azo dye molecules are displayed graphically. The presence of statistical dispersion in molecular alignment of liquid crystals leads to potential wells in dipole–dipole interactions. Our mean field theory investigation of dipole–dipole interactions shows that the anchoring free energy is governed by the net interaction energy associated with the averaged dipole moments of liquid crystal and azo dye molecules, photoaligned surface dipole moments, and local charge densities. We also use the Fokker–Planck equation to show that rotational diffusion is described by the effective mean field potential, which includes photoinduced and van der Waals interactions. Our findings underscore the potential of mean field theory for intermolecular couplings in photoaligned surfaces, opening up new pathways of molecular design for a broad range of parameters. Full article
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12 pages, 1573 KiB  
Article
The Effects of Network Architecture on the Photomechanical Performance of Azo-Acrylate Liquid Crystal Elastomers
by Anastasiia Svanidze, Sudarshan Kundu, Olena Iadlovska, Anil K. Thakur, Xiaoyu Zheng and Peter Palffy-Muhoray
Crystals 2025, 15(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15010001 - 24 Dec 2024
Viewed by 695
Abstract
Azo-containing liquid crystal elastomers are photomechanical materials that can be actuated via illumination. The photomechanical response is a result of the photoisomerization of the azo moiety, which produces bulk stresses in the material. These stresses arise via two distinct and competing mechanisms: order [...] Read more.
Azo-containing liquid crystal elastomers are photomechanical materials that can be actuated via illumination. The photomechanical response is a result of the photoisomerization of the azo moiety, which produces bulk stresses in the material. These stresses arise via two distinct and competing mechanisms: order parameter change induced stress and direct contractile stress. We describe thermomechanical and photomechanical experiments aimed at assessing the relative contributions of these. We show that the details of the attachment of azo dyes to the network can greatly influence the photoresponse. We discuss our results and summarize our findings. Full article
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11 pages, 3745 KiB  
Review
Review of Angular-Selective Windows with Guest–Host Liquid Crystals for Static Window Applications
by Chan-Heon An and Seung-Won Oh
Crystals 2024, 14(11), 931; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst14110931 - 28 Oct 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1032
Abstract
This review focuses on the development and advancements in angular-selective smart windows, with particular emphasis on static windows utilizing guest–host liquid crystal (GHLC) systems. Angular-selective windows are designed to adjust their transmittance based on the angle of incident light, offering enhanced energy efficiency [...] Read more.
This review focuses on the development and advancements in angular-selective smart windows, with particular emphasis on static windows utilizing guest–host liquid crystal (GHLC) systems. Angular-selective windows are designed to adjust their transmittance based on the angle of incident light, offering enhanced energy efficiency and visual comfort in both architectural and automotive applications. By leveraging the anisotropic absorption properties of dichroic dyes, GHLC-based windows can selectively block oblique sunlight while preserving clear visibility from normal viewing angles. Various liquid crystal (LC) alignment configurations, including vertically aligned, homogeneously aligned, hybrid aligned, uniformly lying helix, and twisted aligned LC cells, have been investigated to optimize light control for different installation angles, such as for automotive windshields and building windows. These advancements have demonstrated significant improvements in energy conservation and occupant comfort by reducing cooling demands and regulating sunlight penetration. This review summarizes key findings from recent studies, addresses the limitations of current technologies, and outlines potential future directions for further advancements in smart window technology. Full article
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15 pages, 23150 KiB  
Article
3D Optical Wedge and Movable Optical Axis LC Lens
by Qi Wu, Hongxia Zhang, Dagong Jia and Tiegen Liu
Crystals 2024, 14(10), 843; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst14100843 - 27 Sep 2024
Viewed by 921
Abstract
Current liquid crystal (LC) lenses cannot achieve lossless arbitrary movement of the optical axis without mechanical movement. This article designs a novel bottom electrode through simulation and optimization, which forms a special LC lens with an Archimedean spiral electrode, realizing a 3D LC [...] Read more.
Current liquid crystal (LC) lenses cannot achieve lossless arbitrary movement of the optical axis without mechanical movement. This article designs a novel bottom electrode through simulation and optimization, which forms a special LC lens with an Archimedean spiral electrode, realizing a 3D LC wedge and an arbitrarily movable LC lens. When only the bottom electrode is controlled, it achieves a maximum beam steering angle of 0.164°, which is nearly an order of magnitude larger than the current design. When the top and bottom electrodes are controlled jointly, a 0.164° movement of the lens optical axis is achieved. With focal length varies, the movement of the optical axis ranges from zero to infinity, and the lens surface remains unchanged during movement. The focus can move in a 3D conical area. When the thickness of the LC layer is 30 μm, the fastest response time reaches only 0.635 s, much faster than now. Full article
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