Lyotropic Liquid Crystals from Colloidal Suspensions of Graphene Oxide

Abstract

Lyotropic liquid crystals from colloidal particles have been known for more than a century, but have attracted a revived interest over the last few years. This is due to the developments in nanoscience and nanotechnology, where the liquid crystal order can be exploited to orient and reorient the anisotropic colloids, thus enabling, increasing and switching the preferential properties of the nanoparticles. In particular, carbon-based colloids like carbon nanotubes and graphene/graphene−oxide have increasingly been studied with respect to their lyotropic liquid crystalline properties over the recent years. We critically review aspects of lyotropic graphene oxide liquid crystal with respect to properties and behavior which seem to be generally established, but also discuss those effects that are largely unfamiliar so far, or as of yet of controversial experimental or theoretical outcome.

Keywords

• liquid crystal
• graphene oxide
• lyotropic
• colloid
• nematic