During the seventies when the main properties of magnetic fluids were first understood, (superparamagnetism, birefringence, hydrodynamics instabilities...) theoreticians [1] have imagined the possible advantages of a ferrofluid with a thermotropic nematic liquid crystal (LC) as a solvent. Such a “ferronematic” would indeed combine the properties of two systems which become optically anisotropic (birefringent) under electrical and magnetic fields. The today widely used liquid crystals displays (LCDs) are based on the transition between transparent and opaque state of LCs, controlled by electric fields. For certain applications, magnetic fields could be used instead if we could lower down the threshold magnetic field intensity Hc of the so called Fredericks transition arising from the competition between alignment of LC molecules by surfaces and by an applied magnetic field. This idea motivated our experimental study of dispersion of nanoparticles made of maghemite iron oxide (Γ-Fe2O3) and 5-CB, one of the most standard nematic LCs which is convenient due to its nematic-isotropic temperature (TN-I=35°C) slightly above room temperature. However, we found that a true (monophasic) ferrofluid with 5-CB as solvent can be obtained only in the isotropic phase (above TN-I), whereas in the nematic state, the system separates between two phases: one the one hand magnetic microdroplets made of a high concentration of magnetic nanoparticles (about 18 vol% from SAXS measurements) in isotropic 5-CB and on the other hand a non magnetic 5-CB nematic matrix [2]. This phenomenon was explained by the thermodynamic laws for a ternary system (nanoparticles – LC – surfactant). Two aspect of these highly magnetic droplets in a LC host matrix where studied : i) their influence on the threshold field Hc of the Fredericks transition of a 5-CB layer sandwitched between two plates with homeotropic alignment conditions; ii) their strong ellipsoidal deformation under a magnetic field of low intensity, which – by analogy with ferrofluid droplets in a non magnetic liquid – provides an experimental measurement of the interfacial tension and tentatively of the anchoring energy of LC molecules onto nanoparticles [3]. ___________________________________________________ [1] F. Brochard, P. G. de Gennes, J. Phys. (Paris), 1970, 31, 691. [2] C. Da Cruz, O. Sandre, V. Cabuil, Journal of Phyical Chemistry B (2005) 109, 14292. [3] J. Deseigne, report of ESPCI engineering school short training period (March 2006)
