Nonlinear Electrophoresis of Colloids Controlled by Anisotropic Conductivity and Permittivity of Liquid-Crystalline Electrolyte

Abstract

When a standard, isotropic electrolyte is replaced with a liquid crystal, a nonlinear mechanism of electrophoresis is introduced, and one unresolved issue is how the electrophoretic velocity depends on the crucial properties of the liquid crystal: the anisotropy of its dielectric permittivity and conductivity. The authors establish these dependencies with experiments and simulations, and demonstrate how to use them for controlled $r\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}e\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}v\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}e\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}r\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}s\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}a\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}l$ of electrokinetics, by changing either temperature or composition. This work embraces a wide range of problems, from electrokinetic phenomena and microfluidics to soft matter physics.