(109f) When Crystals Meet Curves

Crystallization in curved entities such as viral capsids, Radiolaria, and ice-freezing is ubiquitous in nature, wherein the spatial coordination of constituent materials adjusts to adequately accommodate within curvature, resulting in exotic collective properties. Herein, we investigated the nucleation and growth of blue phase (BPs) soft crystals within curved topological confinement. BPs represent 3D periodic cubic crystals while they have fluidity. They have the potential to assemble into two crystalline symmetries: BPI with a body-centered cubic structure and BPII with a simple cubic structure. These cubic crystal lattices are a few hundred nanometers and show selective Bragg's reflection with rapid sub-millisecond response times, which makes them attractive for sensing and photonic applications. However, the interaction and configuration of the BP crystalline lattices when in contact with curved boundaries is not fully explored. In this presentation, I will explain how the combination of curvature, confinement, and surface anchoring impacts the structural stability and optical response of BPs within core-shell and microdroplets. Moreover, I will share our recent experimental and computational findings on how curved boundaries influence the photo-polymerization of reactive BPs (a strategy to enhance thermal stability) within microdroplets.