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The assembly of colloids in nematic liquid crystals via topological defectshas been extensively studied for spherical particles, and investigations ofother colloid shapes have revealed a wide array of new assembly behaviors. Weshow, using Landau-de Gennes numerical modeling, that nematic defectconfigurations and colloidal assembly can be strongly influenced by finedetails of colloid shape, in particular the presence of sharp edges. Forcylinder, microbullet, and cube colloid geometries, we obtain the particles'equilibrium alignment directions and effective pair interaction potentials as afunction of simple shape parameters. We find that defects pin at sharp edges,and that the colloid consequently orients at an oblique angle relative to thefar-field nematic director that depends on the colloid's shape. Thisshape-dependent alignment, which we confirm in experimental measurements,raises the possibility of selecting self-assembly outcomes for colloids inliquid crystals by tuning particle geometry.

Shape-controlled orientation and assembly of colloids with sharp edges in nematic liquid crystals