ABSTRACT
The use of liquid crystals and materials with special properties, as well as properties at the nanoscale, is discussed. Recent advancements, spanning from liquid crystal-nanoparticle dispersions to nanomaterials generating liquid crystalline phases after surface modification with mesogenic or promesogenic moieties, are given special emphasis. Experimental and synthetic approaches are compared, design strategies are examined, and potential and present applications are discussed. Finally, a critical assessment of the field of liquid crystal research's prospects is presented.
