We review the current state of knowledge of phase separation and phase equilibria in porous materials. Our emphasis is on fundamental studies of simple fluids (composed of small, neutral molecules) and well-characterized materials. While theoretical and molecular simulation studies are stressed, we also survey experimental investigations that are fundamental in nature. Following a brief survey of the most useful theoretical and simulation methods, we describe the nature of gas‐liquid (capillary condensation), layering, liquid‐liquid and freezing/melting transitions. In each case studies for simple pore geometries, and also more complex ones where available, are discussed. While a reasonably good understanding is available for phase equilibria of pure adsorbates in simple pore geometries, there is a need to extend the models to more complex pore geometries that include effects of chemical and geometrical heterogeneity and connectivity. In addition, with the exception of liquid‐liquid equilibria, little work has been done so far on phase separation for mixtures in porous media.

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Phase separation in confined systems

Advanced Mathematical Methods for Scientists and Engineers

Aspects of Scientific Explanation: and Other Essays in the Philosophy of Science

We present a review of experimental, theoretical, and molecular simulation studies of confinement effects on freezing and melting We consider both simple and more complex adsorbates that are confined in various environments (slit or cylindrical pores and also disordered porous materials) The most commonly used molecular simulation, theoretical and experimental methods are first presented We also provide a brief description of the most widely used porous materials The current state of knowledge on the effects of confinement on structure and freezing temperature, and the appearance of new surface-driven and confinement-driven phases are then discussed We also address how confinement affects the glass transition

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Effects of confinement on freezing and melting.

With the maturation of the information display field, liquid-crystal materials research is undergoing a modern-day renaissance. Devices and configurations based on liquid-crystal materials are being developed for spectroscopy, imaging and microscopy, leading to new techniques for optically probing biological systems. Biosensors fabricated with liquid-crystal materials can allow label-free observations of biological phenomena. Liquid-crystal polymers are starting to be used in biomimicking colour-producing structures, lenses and muscle-like actuators. New areas of application in the realms of biology and medicine are stimulating innovation in basic and applied research into these materials.

Liquid-crystal materials find a new order in biomedical applications.

We consider the theoretical and positional assembling of topological defects (TDs) in effectively two-dimensional nematic liquid crystal films. We use a phenomenological Helfrich–Landau–de Gennes-type mesoscopic model in which geometric shapes and nematic orientational order are expressed in terms of a curvature tensor field and a nematic tensor order parameter field. Extrinsic, intrinsic, and total curvature potentials are introduced using the parallel transport concept. These potentials reveal curvature seeded TD attractors. To test ground configurations, we used axially symmetric nematic films exhibiting spherical topology.

Curvature Potential Unveiled Topological Defect Attractors

We study the characteristics of nematic structures in a randomly perturbed nematic liquid crystal (LC) phase. We focus on the impact of the samples history on the universal behavior. The obtained results are of interest for every randomly perturbed system exhibiting a continuous symmetry-breaking phase transition. A semimicroscopic lattice simulation is used where the LC molecules are treated as cylindrically symmetric, rod-like objects interacting via a Lebwohl-Lasher (LL) interaction. Pure LC systems exhibit a first order phase transition into the orientationally ordered nematic phase at on lowering the temperature . The orientational ordering of LC molecules is perturbed by the quenched, randomly distributed rod-like impurities of concentration . Their orientation is randomly distributed, and they are coupled with the LC molecules via an LL-type interaction. Only concentrations below the percolation threshold are considered. The key macroscopic characteristics of perturbed LC structures in the symmetry-broken nematic phase are analyzed for two qualitatively different histories at . We demonstrate that, for a weak enough interaction among the LC molecules and impurities, qualitatively different history-dependent states could be obtained. These states could exhibit either short-range, quasi-long-range, or even long-range order.

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History-Dependent Patterns in Randomly Perturbed Nematic Liquid Crystals

We report on strong pretransitional effects across the isotropic liquid-plastic crystal melting temperature in linear and nonlinear dielectric response. Studies were carried out for cyclooctanol (C8H16O) in the unprecedented range of temperatures 120 K < T < 345 K. Such pretransitional effects have not yet been reported in any plastic crystals. Results include the discovery of the experimental manifestation of the Mossotti Catastrophe behavior, so far considered only as a hypothetical paradox. The model interpretations of experimental findings are proposed. We parallel the observed pretransitional behavior with the one observed in octyloxycyanobiphenyl (8OCB), typical liquid crystal (LC), displaying a reversed sequence of phase transitions in orientational and translational degrees of order on varying temperature. Furthermore, in its nematic phase, we demonstrate first-ever observed temperature-driven crossover between regions dominated by isotropic liquid and smectic A pretransitional fluctuations. We propose a pioneering minimal model describing plastic crystal phase behavior where we mimic derivation of classical Landau-de Gennes-Ginzburg modelling of Isotropic - Nematic - Smectic A LC phase behavior.

Pretransitional effects of the isotropic liquid-plastic crystal transition

We carry out a comparative study of the influence of a random anisotropy field on continuous and discontinuous phase transitions. The ordered phase, which is reached via a continuous symmetry breaking phase transition, is characterized by an order parameter and by a corresponding hydrodynamic continuum field. We assume that the response of the hydrodynamic field to the imposed disorder results in a domainlike pattern of the system. For a strong enough disorder both transitions become gradual. For weaker disorder strengths the disorder converts a second order transition into a discontinuous one.

Transformation of phase transitions driven by an anisotropic random field.

Accuracy in the measurement of temperature is critical, as temperature changes are inevitable in many biological, industrial, and materials science applications Hence the development of temperature sensors has always been a principal focus in the field of sensors Significant developments in the field of nanotechnology have revealed that highly competent temperature sensors can be designed and fabricated by utilizing liquid crystals (LCs) This chapter presents a prototype of two novel temperature sensors based on liquid crystal properties—a wired and a wireless LC temperature sensor The wired temperature sensor exploits the dependence of permittivity of the LC with temperature and the electrical conductivity of the metallic layer Experimental results reveal that the device sensitivity is varied as a function of the applied voltage and the nanometric layer improves the sensitivity to six times higher The wireless sensor employs wireless technology to enable the sensor to function in adverse environmental conditions, exploiting the capacitance of the liquid crystal as the sensing element

Samo Kralj

Papers

Curvature Potential Unveiled Topological Defect Attractors

History-Dependent Patterns in Randomly Perturbed Nematic Liquid Crystals

Pretransitional effects of the isotropic liquid-plastic crystal transition

Transformation of phase transitions driven by an anisotropic random field.

Nanomaterials dispersed liquid crystalline self-assembly of hybrid matrix application towards thermal sensor