Computational modelling of multiscale morphologies in polymer–liquid crystal blends

Simulations of material architectures in polymer-liquid crystal blends driven by phase separation-phase ordering-texturing processes are presented. The study shows that mixtures of polymers and liquid crystals result in blend morphologies that organize at several scales. For thermally driven instabilities, morphologies of polymer droplets embedded in a liquid crystal matrix show colloidal crystallinity. Large polymer drops strongly affect the orientation of the matrix, producing textures consisting of defect lattices. This work shows that thermally driven phase separation-phase ordering-texturing processes can result in multiscale materials, with length scales cascading down from droplets to interfaces, and finally to nanoscale defects.