Nanoparticle research has witnessed tremendous growth due their unusual physical and chemical properties which differs from the same bulk material. Liquid crystal, a fourth state of matter, is laying significant role in the synthesis of size and shape-uniform anostructures and can be utilised as capping agent.The inclusion of NPs in LC host produces significant changes in their physical properties such as order parameter, birefringence and dielectric anisotropy. The composite of nanomaterials and liquid crystal lead to the formation of materials having new and exciting properties whichmay find use in high-tech applications such as photoconductors, light emitting diodes, photo-voltaic solar cells, thin film transistors, etc.

Liquid crystals -- gold nanoparticles.

Gold nanoparticles provide a platform for the development of new and efficient diagnostic and therapeutic tools.This book offers a general guide to the synthesis and coating of gold nanoparticles. It describes the links between optical features and geometries of gold nanoparticles and provides a readily comprehensible connection in all the chapters between the geometry of gold nanoparticles and their final applications.

This text is a primer for liquid crystals, polymers, rubber and elasticity. It is directed at physicists, chemists, material scientists, engineers and applied mathematicians at the graduate student level and beyond.