TY  - JOUR
A1  - Douce, Laurent
A1  - Suisse, Jean-Moise
A1  - Guillon, Daniel
A1  - Taubert, Andreas
T1  - Imidazolium-based liquid crystals a modular platform for versatile new materials with finely tuneable properties and behaviour
JF  - Liquid crystals : an international journal of science and technology
N2  - Ionic liquid Crystals constitute highly versatile materials that have drawn much interest these past few years in the fields of academic research and industrial development. In this respect, the present article is intended as an update of K. Binnemans review published in 2005, but focusing exclusively on the imidazolium cation - the most widely studied. Herein, imidazolium-containing thermotropic liquid crystalline materials will be sorted by molecular structure (mono-, bis-, poly-imidazolium compounds, with symmetrical and non-symmetrical structures) and discussed. Their physico-chemical properties will be exposed in order to adduce the relevancy and potential of the imidazolium platform in various fields of research.
KW  - imidazolium
KW  - liquid crystal
KW  - ionic liquid
Y1  - 2011
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1080/02678292.2011.610474
SN  - 0267-8292
VL  - 38
IS  - 11-12
SP  - 1653
EP  - 1661
PB  - Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group
CY  - Abingdon
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Tritschler, Ulrich
A1  - Zlotnikov, Igor
A1  - Fratzl, Peter
A1  - Schlaad, Helmut
A1  - Gruener, Simon
A1  - Coelfen, Helmut
T1  - Gas barrier properties of bio-inspired Laponite-LC polymer hybrid films
JF  - PLoS one
N2  - Bio-inspired Laponite (clay)-liquid crystal (LC) polymer composite materials with high clay fractions (>80%) and a high level of orientation of the clay platelets, i.e. with structural features similar to the ones found in natural nacre, have been shown to exhibit a promising behavior in the context of reduced oxygen transmission. Key characteristics of these bio-inspired composite materials are their high inorganic content, high level of exfoliation and orientation of the clay platelets, and the use of a LC polymer forming the organic matrix in between the Laponite particles. Each single feature may be beneficial to increase the materials gas barrier property rendering this composite a promising system with advantageous barrier capacities. In this detailed study, Laponite/LC polymer composite coatings with different clay loadings were investigated regarding their oxygen transmission rate. The obtained gas barrier performance was linked to the quality, respective Laponite content and the underlying composite micro-and nanostructure of the coatings. Most efficient oxygen barrier properties were observed for composite coatings with 83% Laponite loading that exhibit a structure similar to sheet-like nacre. Further on, advantageous mechanical properties of these Laponite/LC polymer composites reported previously give rise to a multifunctional composite system.
KW  - gas permeation
KW  - liquid crystal
KW  - Laponite
KW  - liquid crystal polymer
KW  - bio-inspired
KW  - organic-inorganic composite material
KW  - self-organization
Y1  - 2016
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-3190/11/3/035005
SN  - 1748-3182
SN  - 1748-3190
VL  - 11
PB  - IOP Publ. Ltd.
CY  - Bristol
ER  -