Control of sample alignment mode for hybrid lamellar systems based on gold nanoparticles.

New hybrid materials made of gold nanoparticles functionalized by mesogenic ligands form laminated smectic phases. Mechanical shearing produces macro size domains with uniformly oriented layers with the layer normal either perpendicular (perpendicular mode) or parallel (transverse mode) to the shearing direction. This is in contrast to low weight and polymer liquid crystals which usually show parallel mode of orientation.