A. Džarová

Bio: A. Džarová is an academic researcher from Slovak Academy of Sciences. The author has contributed to research in topics: Magnetic nanoparticles & Coercivity. The author has an hindex of 3, co-authored 7 publications receiving 151 citations.

Structural changes in the 6CHBT liquid crystal doped with spherical, rodlike, and chainlike magnetic particles.

Abstract: In this work the 4-(trans- 4'-n -hexylcyclohexyl)-isothiocyanatobenzene (6CHBT) liquid crystal was doped with differently shaped magnetite nanoparticles. The structural changes were observed by capacitance measurements and showed significant influence of the shape and size of the magnetic particles on the magnetic Freedericksz transition. For the volume concentration phi= 2 x 10(-4) of the magnetic particles, the critical magnetic field was established for the pure liquid crystal, and for liquid crystals doped with spherical, chainlike, and rodlike magnetic particles. The influence of the magnetic field depends on the type of anchoring, which is characterized by the density of anchoring energy and by the initial orientation between the liquid crystal molecules and the magnetic moment of the magnetic particles. The experimental results indicated soft anchoring in the case of spherical magnetic particles and rigid anchoring in the case of rodlike and chainlike magnetic particles, with parallel initial orientation between the magnetic moments of the magnetic particles and director.

Phase Transitions in Liquid Crystal Doped with Magnetic Particles of Different Shapes

Abstract: In this study, observations of structural transitions in ferronematics based on the thermotropic nematic 4-trans-4′-n-hexyl-cyclohexyl-isothiocyanato-benzene (6CHBT) are described. Droplets of the nematic phase in the isotropic phase were observed in solutions of nematogenic 6CHBT dissolved in phenyl isocyanate and 6CHBT dissolved in phenyl isocyanate and doped with magnetic particles of different shapes (nanorods and chain-like particles). Magneto-dielectric measurements of structural transitions in these new systems enable to estimate of the type of anchoring of the nematic molecules on the magnetic particles surface.

Magnetic Properties of Magnetite Formed by Biomineralization and Chemical Synthesis

Abstract: In this work, the magnetic properties of biologically produced magnetite (magnetosomes) by biomineralization process were compared to those of chemically synthesized Fe3O4. The coercivity of 185 Oe in magnetosomes is connected with the fact that the mean diameter is larger than critical size for transition from superparamagnetic to ferromagnetic behavior. A sharp magnetic transition at 105 K (Verwey transition) is clearly present in magnetosomes while in opposite, this transition is missing in Fe3O4.

Magnetic Properties of Bacterial Nanoparticles

Abstract: The objective of this study is to prepare and study magnetic properties of biological magnetic nanoparticles (magnetosomes) as a product of biomineralization process of magnetotactic bacteria Magnetospirillum sp. AMB-1. From temperature dependence of remanent magnetization and coercive field the Verwey transition is clearly seen at 105 K as a consequence of the large anisotropy along the chains of magnetosomes.

The Effect of Polymer Immobilization on Magnetic Properties of Magnetosomes

Abstract: The anisotropy of several PVA/magnetosomes magnetically textured films has been investigated from the point of view of magnetic properties. The thin film synthesized under the influence of a magnetic field (99 mT) shows the typical behavior of an anisotropic material. On sample textured in magnetic field the magnetisation loop measurements were performed in dependence on the direction of the external magnetic field with respect to the texture axis. The results of hysteresis measurements show that the magnetic field applied during the synthesis promotes an orientation of the chains of magnetosomes and permanently textured film is obtained after solidification. The obtained values for magnetic remanence and coercivity were dependent on the external magnetic field orientation and the alignment effect of particle moments may be clearly seen which is in agreement with the theoretical model of magnetic particle chains.

Liquid-crystal nanoscience: an emerging avenue of soft self-assembly

Abstract: Liquid crystals are finding increasing applications in a wide variety of fields including liquid-crystal display technology, materials science, bioscience, etc., apart from acting as prototype self-organizable supramolecular soft materials and tunable solvents. Recently, keeping in pace with topical science, liquid crystals have entered into the fascinating domains of nanoscience and nanotechnology. This tutorial review describes the recent and significant developments in liquid-crystal nanoscience embracing contemporary nanomaterials such as nanoparticles, nanorods, nanotubes, nanoplatelets, etc. The dispersion of zero-, one- and two-dimensional nanomaterials in liquid crystals for the enhancement of properties, liquid-crystalline phase behavior of nanomaterials themselves, self-assembly and alignment of nanomaterials in liquid-crystalline media, and the synthesis of nanomaterials by using liquid crystals as ‘templates’ or ‘precursors’ have been highlighted and discussed. It is almost certain that the ‘fourth state of matter’ will play more prevalent roles in nanoscience and nanotechnology in the near future. Moreover, liquid-crystal nanoscience reflects itself as a beautiful demonstration of the contemporary theme “crossing the borders: science without boundaries”.

Ferromagnetism in suspensions of magnetic platelets in liquid crystal

Abstract: More than four decades ago, Brochard and de Gennes proposed that colloidal suspensions of ferromagnetic particles in nematic (directionally ordered) liquid crystals could form macroscopic ferromagnetic phases at room temperature. The experimental realization of these predicted phases has hitherto proved elusive, with such systems showing enhanced paramagnetism but no spontaneous magnetization in the absence of an external magnetic field. Here we show that nanometre-sized ferromagnetic platelets suspended in a nematic liquid crystal can order ferromagnetically on quenching from the isotropic phase. Cooling in the absence of a magnetic field produces a polydomain sample exhibiting the two opposing states of magnetization, oriented parallel to the direction of nematic ordering. Cooling in the presence of a magnetic field yields a monodomain sample; magnetization can be switched by domain wall movement on reversal of the applied magnetic field. The ferromagnetic properties of this dipolar fluid are due to the interplay of the nematic elastic interaction (which depends critically on the shape of the particles) and the magnetic dipolar interaction. This ferromagnetic phase responds to very small magnetic fields and may find use in magneto-optic devices. The idea that magnetic particles suspended in a liquid crystal might spontaneously orient into a ferromagnetic state has hitherto not been confirmed experimentally, but such a state has now been realized using nanometre-sized ferromagnetic platelets in a nematic liquid crystal. The idea that magnetic particles suspended in a liquid crystal might spontaneously orient into a ferromagnetic state has been around for decades but had not been confirmed experimentally. Alenka Mertelj and colleagues have now realized such a state using nanosized ferromagnetic platelets in a nematic liquid crystal. The shape of the thin platelets is key to the development of ferromagnetic ordering. The resulting 'liquid magnet' phase responds to very small magnetic fields and may lead to new magneto–optic devices.

Mean-field theory of a nematic liquid crystal doped with anisotropic nanoparticles

Abstract: In the framework of molecular mean-field theory we study the effect of nanoparticles embedded in nematic liquid crystals on the orientational ordering and nematic–isotropic phase transition. We show that spherically isotropic nanoparticles effectively dilute the liquid crystal medium and decrease the nematic–isotropic transition temperature. At the same time, anisotropic nanoparticles become aligned by the nematic host and, reciprocally, improve the liquid crystal alignment. The theory clarifies the microscopic origin of the experimentally observed shift of the isotropic–nematic phase transition and an improvement of the nematic order in composite materials. A considerable softening of the first order nematic–isotropic transition caused by strongly anisotropic nanoparticles is also predicted.

Macroscopic optical effects in low concentration ferronematics

Abstract: We present a detailed experimental and theoretical study of the optical response of suspensions of ferromagnetic nanoparticles (“ferroparticles”) in nematic liquid crystals (“ferronematics”), concentrating on the magnetic field-induced Frederiks transition. Even extremely low ferroparticle concentrations (at a volume fraction between 2 × 10−5 and 2 × 10−4), induce a significant additional ferronematic linear response at low magnetic field (<100 G) and a decrease in the effective magnetic Frederiks threshold. The experimental results demonstrate that our system has weak ferronematic behavior. The proposed theory takes into account the nematic diamagnetism and assumes that the effective magnetic susceptibility, induced by the nanoparticles, no longer dominates the response. The theory is in good agreement with the experimental data for the lowest concentration suspensions and predicts the main features of the more concentrated ones. The deviations observed in these cases hint at extra effects due to particle aggregation, which we have also observed directly in photographs.