Nanoscience with Liquid Crystals

This book focuses on the exciting topic of nanoscience with liquid crystals: from self-organized nanostructures to applications. The elegant self-organized liquid crystalline nanostructures, the synergetic characteristics of liquid crystals and nanoparticles, liquid crystalline nanomaterials, synthesis of nanomaterials using liquid crystals as templates, nanoconfinement and nanoparticles of liquid crystals are covered and discussed, and the prospect of fabricating functional materials is highlighted. Contributions, collecting the scattered literature of the field from leading and active players, are compiled to make the book a reference book. Readers will find the book useful and of benefit both as summaries for works in this field and as tutorials and explanations of concepts for those just entering the field. Additionally, the book helps to stimulate future developments.Quan Li, PhD, is Director of the Organic Synthesis and Advanced Materials Laboratory at the Liquid Crystal Institute at Kent State University, where he is also Adjunct Professor in the Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program. He has directed research projects supported by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Air Force of Scientific Research (AFOSR), U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), U.S. Department of Defense Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (DoD MURI), U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and National Science Foundation (NSF), among other funding institutions.