Lysozyme Amyloid Fibrils Doped by Carbon Nanotubes

Production of new composites for the creation of modern materials with desired properties is the key feature of nanotechnology. Despite the well known advantages of magnetic nanoparticles, the aim of the present study was to synthesize lysozyme amyloid fibrils from hen egg white and subsequently doped this solution with single walled carbon nanotubes and with the magnetite Fe₃O₄ labelled single walled carbon nanotubes. Transmission electron microscopy and polarization optical microscopy were used to obtain the structural and dimensional information about samples. Measurements of magnetic properties indicate the considerable increase of the saturation magnetization for solutions included the magnetite nanoparticles

The Influence of Magnetic Particles on the Nematic Droplets Formation in Liquid Crystal

In this work the thermotropic nematic liquid crystal 4-trans-4'-n-hexyl-cyclohexyl-isothiocyanato-benzene (6CHBT) was dissolved in phenyl-isothiocyanate and doped with spherical magnetic particles with volume concentration ϕ₁=10¯⁴ and ϕ₂=10¯³. The influence of the volume concentration on the phase transitions from isotropic to nematic phase was studied by three experimental methods: optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and dielectric measurements. The obtained results confirmed the coexistence of isotropic and nematic phase, i.e. nematic or ferronematic droplets in isotropic phase in a wide temperature range between nematic and isotropic phase

Sensitivity of 6CHBT Liquid Crystal Doped with Ferroelectric or Magnetic Particles to Electric and Magnetic Fields

Introduction of ferroelectric or magnetic nanoparticles into nematic liquid crystal is a promising method for the improvement of the electro-optic or magneto-optic properties of different nematic liquid crystals by non-chemical way. This work is devoted to the study of composite systems of liquid crystal with spherical ferroelectric or magnetic particles with the aim to study their sensitivity to electric and magnetic fields. The nematic 4-(trans-4'-n-hexylcyclohexyl)-isothiocyanatobenzene (6CHBT) liquid crystal was doped with SbSI ferroelectric particles or with $Fe_{3}O_{4}$ magnetic particles. The structural transitions in ferronematic samples were indicated by capacitance measurements in a capacitor made of ITO-coated glass electrodes in combined electric and magnetic fields. The obtained results showed the increase of the shift in critical voltage with increasing magnetic field in both kinds of samples

Dielectric Properties of Lyotropic Magnetic Liquid Crystal

An important feature of lyotropic liquid crystals is the self-assembly of the amphiphilic molecules as supermolecular structures. We have studied the formation of nematic liquid crystal phase in solutions containing lysozyme amyloid fibrils and magnetic nanoparticles using oscilloscopic method. Interaction of fibrils with magnetic nanoparticles under the external magnetic field resulted in fibril re-arrangement. The analysis of the obtained results suggests that the decrease in conductivity of solutions in presence of magnetic field is due to decrease of the ion mobility caused by re-arrangement of structures in the solution. The obtained results allow determination of the optimum ratio of the components which can lead to preparation of solutions with a more ordered structure in presence of magnetic field

Dielectric Properties of Lyotropic Magnetic Liquid Crystal

An important feature of lyotropic liquid crystals is the self-assembly of the amphiphilic molecules as supermolecular structures. We have studied the formation of nematic liquid crystal phase in solutions containing lysozyme amyloid fibrils and magnetic nanoparticles using oscilloscopic method. Interaction of fibrils with magnetic nanoparticles under the external magnetic field resulted in fibril re-arrangement. The analysis of the obtained results suggests that the decrease in conductivity of solutions in presence of magnetic field is due to decrease of the ion mobility caused by re-arrangement of structures in the solution. The obtained results allow determination of the optimum ratio of the components which can lead to preparation of solutions with a more ordered structure in presence of magnetic field