TY  - JOUR
AU  - Belushkin, M.
AU  - Gompper, G.
TI  - Twist grain boundaries in cubic surfactant phases
JO  - The journal of chemical physics
VL  - 130
SN  - 0021-9606
CY  - Melville, NY
PB  - American Institute of Physics
M1  - PreJuSER-4228
SP  - 134712
PY  - 2009
N1  - Record converted from VDB: 12.11.2012
AB  - Twist grain boundaries in bicontinuous cubic surfactant phases are studied by employing a Ginzburg-Landau model of ternary amphiphilic systems. Calculations are performed on a discrete real-space lattice with periodic boundary conditions for the lamellar L(alpha), gyroid G, diamond D, and the Schwarz P phases for various twist angles. An isosurface analysis of the scalar order parameter reveals the structure of the surfactant monolayer at the interfaces between the oil-rich and water-rich regions. The curvature distributions show that the grain boundaries are minimal surfaces. The interfacial free energy per unit area is determined as a function of the twist angle for the G, D, P, and lamellar phases using two complementary approaches: the Ginzburg-Landau free-energy functional and a geometrical approach based on the curvature energy of a monolayer. For the L(alpha), G, and D phases the interfacial free energy per unit area is very small, has the same order of magnitude, and exhibits a nonmonotonic dependence on the twist angle. The P phase is found to be unstable with respect to the nucleation of grain boundaries.
KW  - J (WoSType)
LB  - PUB:(DE-HGF)16
C6  - pmid:19355769
UR  - <Go to ISI:>//WOS:000265053200060
DO  - DOI:10.1063/1.3096987
UR  - https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/4228
ER  -