Vapour-Liquid equilibrium and low-temperature liquid-crystal phase diagram of discotic colloids

Discotic colloids give rise to a paradigmatic family of liquid crystals with sound applications in Materials Science. In this paper, Monte Carlo simulations are employed to characterize the low-temperature liquid crystal phase diagram and the vapour-liquid coexistence of discotic colloids interacting via a Kihara potential. Discoidal particles with thickness-diameter aspect ratios $L^*\equiv L/D$=\,0.5, 0.3, 0.2 and 0.1 are considered. For the less anisotropic particles ($L^*$$\ge$0.2), coexistence of a vapour phase with the isotropic fluid and with the columnar liquid crystal phase is observed. As the particle anisotropy increases, the vapour-liquid coexistence shifts to lower temperatures and its density range diminishes, eventually merging with coexistences involving the liquid crystal phases. The $L^*=$\,0.1 fluid displays a rich sequence of mesophases, including a nematic phase and a novel lamellar phase in which particles arrange in layers perpendicular to the nematic director.