Silica nanoparticles attract a lot of interest due to their narrow particle size distribution and high heat-resistance. An orientation of liquid crystalline molecules can be controlled by an electric field. Consequently, agglomeration structures of the silica nanoparticles are expected to be controlled by coating liquid crystals on the particles. The purpose of this study is to synthesize the organic-inorganic hybrid materials which are the silica nanoparticles coated with liquid crystals, and to investigate of the phase transition behavior of the surface modified silica nanoparticles.
