Network formation in colloid–liquid crystal mixtures studied by confocal microscopy

We studied the formation of particle networks in colloid + liquid crystal mixtures cooled below the isotropic–nematic transition temperature by time-resolved laser scanning confocal microscopy. Our observations confirm a recent suggestion that alkane impurities play a crucial role in slowing down the speed of the isotropic–nematic interface. This enables the growing nematic droplets to 'push' particles into increasingly concentrated regions, ultimately resulting in a cellular network solid. We also found that faster cooling rates resulted in increasingly hierarchical cellular structures.