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Introduction to Colloidal and Microfluidic Nematic Microstructures

In this brief review, we give an introduction to selected colloidal and microfluidic nematic microstructures, as enabled by the inherent anisotropy and microscopic orientational ordering in complex liquid crystalline materials. We give a brief overview of the mesoscopic theory, for equilibrium and dynamics, of nematic fluids, that provides the framework for understanding, characterization, and even prediction of such microstructures, with particular comment also on the role of topology and topological defects. Three types of nematic microstructures are highlighted: stable or metastable structures in nematic colloids based on spherical colloidal particles, stationary nematic microfluidic structures, and ferromagnetic liquid crystal structures based on magnetic colloidal particles. Finally, this paper is in honor of Noel A. Clark, as one of the world pioneers that helped to shape this field of complex and functional soft matter, contributing at different levels to works of various groups worldwide, including ours.