Self-assembly and polymer-stabilization of lyotropic liquid crystals in aqueous and non-aqueous solutions

With growth of interest in functional materials possessing highly organized and well-defined nanostructures, lyotropic mesophases have received much attention. Amphiphiles and chromogens can spontaneously construct ordered lyotropic liquid crystal (LLC) and lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal phases in both organic and inorganic solvents. The combined properties of self-organization with facile orientation and intriguing optical adjustments grant lyotropic mesophases with many potential applications, including use in coatable polarizers, micropatterned films, soft actuators, biomimetic chirophotonic crystals, and energy harvesting devices. In this review, we discuss the general concept of self-assembled lyotropic mesophases and their corresponding structural evolutions in aqueous and non-aqueous systems. Recent research progress in the investigations of polymer-stabilized LLC is also discussed.