Dharmendra Pratap Singh, featured ILCS liquid crystal artist, May 2023

Stacks Image 238
Dharmendra Pratap Singh holds the position of Associate Professor at Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale, France. He is a member of the Unité de Dynamique et Structure des Matériaux Moléculaires (UDSMM) laboratory. His current research activities are focused on the discotic, ferroelectric, nematics and ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals along with their nanocomposites for studying the charge transport mechanisms and their applications for energy, sensing, thermoelectric, optoelectronics, photovoltaics and organic electronics.

Contact Information:
Email: dharmendra.singh(at)univ-littoral.fr

Personal webpage: https://dharmendrasinghulc.wixsite.com/mysite
Stacks Image 219
The LC image corresponds to a nematic liquid crystal optical texture exhibiting chelipeds-like defects representing nature's delicate phase of matter. It is somehow relating the beauty of liquid crystalline material with that of a living organism like a rock crab. This optical texture is obtained at 109 °C (under crossed polarizers) during the cooling from the isotropic temperature of a nematic liquid crystal compound composed of two units of (E)-1-(4-butylphenyl)-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)diazene connected via flexible spacers. This POM image has been recorded in a joint project with Prof. A. K. Prajapati from M.S. University, Vadodara, India.
Jury comment: The photo shows once again how liquid crystals combine science and artistic aspects, so the picture is very attractive from an aesthetic and artistic point of view.