Lyotropic Chromonic Liquid Crystals: From Viscoelastic Properties to Living Liquid Crystals

This thesis describes lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals (LCLCs) with exotic elastic and viscous properties. The first part of the thesis presents a thorough analysis of the elastic and viscous properties of LCLCs as functions of concentration, temperature and ionic contents, while the second part explores an active nematic system: living liquid crystals, which represent a combination of LCLC and living bacteria.

LCLCs are an emerging class of liquid crystals that have shown profound con...