Desenli sıvı kristal yönelimli arayüzlere sahip mikrokanallarda sıvı kristal akış özelliklerinin incelenmesi

Non-Newtonian microfluidics plays a crucial role in industrial and technological advancements as well as in biological applications. Prior work has shown that nematic flows can be manipulated by channel geometry and external stimuli (e.g., electric fields and acoustic waves), enabling control over local viscosity and microstructuring for drug delivery, biological mimicry, and soft-materials engineering. Owing to the strong coupling between molecular orientation and hydrodynamics, nematic liquid crystals (LCs) provide a tunable platform for investigating non-Newtonian flow characteristics. In this thesis, we investigate how local variations in the alignment of nematic LC govern its flow characteristics under pressure-driven microfluidic conditions. Specifically, we micropatterned the LC anchoring conditions using a photocleavable self-assembled monolayer and investigated the resulting flow characteristics by measuring flow resistances and spatial variations in LC director fields as a function of microfluidic flow. These efforts revealed that patterned anchoring induces pronounced coupling between flow and molecular alignment, leading to spatially heterogeneous flow regimes that reveal backflow mechanisms, hysteresis, rich and pattern-dependent topological structures, and their transition characteristics. Finally, we implemented this interfacial-control strategy to develop hybrid LC–aqueous soft-interface microfluidics, demonstrating a stable multiphase coflow. These findings establish a framework for controlling soft anisotropic fluids through interfacial patterning, offering new opportunities for adaptive and reconfigurable microfluidic systems.