Guided by hierarchical materials design principles evolved by bacteria, which include the use of curvature-induced strain to dynamically position amphiphiles, proteins and other biomolecules within single cells, IRG3 of the Wisconsin MRSEC has recently recapitulated these design principles in synthetic LC systems. In one set of approaches, the IRG has explored the complex interplay of curvature strain, surface anchoring and topological defects within LC droplets to achieve the synthesis of either spherical or non-spherical particles with organized, chemically distinct domains. The approach involves the localization of solid colloids at topological defects that form predictably at the poles of water-dispersed LC droplets. By polymerizing the LC droplets displaying the colloids at their surface defects, the IRG has demonstrated formation of both spherical and—upon extraction of the mesogen—anisotropic composite particles with precisely positioned colloids. Because the colloids protrude from the surfaces of the particles, they also define chemical patches with chemical functionality controlled by the colloid surface. Complementary theoretical studies have provided insight into the equilibrium and dynamical phenomena that underlie this new class of complex particles.
