Adjunct Physics professor, University of Manitoba (1990-2007)
Professor, Brandon University (1984-2007)
Associate Professor, Brandon University (1980-1984)
Assistant Professor, Brandon University (1978-1980)
Assistant Professor, University of Winnipeg (1974-1978)
Research associate, University of Winnipeg (1973-1974)
Postdoctoral Fellow, National Research Council of Canada (1971-1973)
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Waterloo (1970-1971)
I am interested in phase transitions and rotational/translational dynamics in liquid crystals (LC), liquid crystalline polymers, polymers and biological materials. We have applied solid-state NMR techniques to study LC polymers, discotic LC, metallomesogens, chiral LC and banana-shaped mesogens. Specifically one- and two-dimensional NMR pulsed techniques (including magic angle spinning) were used to exploit their applications in partially ordered systems. Both carbon-13 and/or deuteron NMR have been used to shed light on complex structures, ordering and jump diffusion in anisotropic systems. Nitrogen-14 has been used to study dynamics in lyotropic liquid crystals. Conformational transitions in flexible mesogens have been followed by means of NMR spin relaxation study, and molecular model was developed to give quantitative information on conformational transition and rotational diffusive rates. Pulse field gradient technique to measure complimentary translation diffusion in LC would be of prime interest. Ongoing collaborative research exists with organic and physical chemists from groups outside of Canada to make certain new materials available for our study. Recently LC confined in mesoporous media has been studied with the aim to form photonic devices.
Books:
R.Y. Dong, "NMR of Liquid Crystals", Springer-Verlag, 1994; 2nd edition, 1997.
R.Y. Dong, "Advances in NMR Studies of Liquid Crystals", G. Webb (Ed.), Annu. Rep. NMR Spectro. Vol. 53, chap 2, Elsevier Science (2004).
R.Y. Dong, "Spin Relaxation in Oriented Molecules" in "NMR of Orientationally Ordered Liquids", Burnell and deLange (Eds.), Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht (2003).
R.Y. Dong, Editor "NMR Spectroscopy of Liquid Crystals", World Scientific, Singapore (2009).
---------------------
Some Recent Publications:
1. R. Y. Dong, C. A. Michal, M. Saccone, M. Spengler, and C. Wolper, "On the blue phase structure of hydrogen-bonded Liquid crystas via 19F NMR", Chem. Phys. Lett.
710, 39 (2018).
2. C.A. Michal and R.Y. Dong, "Two-pulse frequency-hopped excitation", Concepts Magn.Reson. 45A, e21416 (2018).
3.M. Spengler, R. Y. Dong, C. A. Michal, W. Y. Hamad, M. J. MacLachlan and M. Giese, "Hydrogen-bonded Liquid Crystals in Con fined Spaces: Towards Photonic Hybrid Materials", Adv.Funct. Mater. 18007207 (2018).
4. E.E. Burnell, C. A. de Lange, R. Y. Dong, W. L. Meerts and A. C. J. Weber, "Evolutionary algorithms and NMR of oriented molecules", Concepts Magn. Reson. 45A,
e21415 (2018).
5.M. Spengler, R. Y. Dong, C. A. Michal, M. Pfletscher and M. Giese, "Fluorination of supramolecular liquid crystals: tuning tools and analytical probes", J. Mater. Chem. C 5, 2235-2239 (2017).
6.E. E. Burnell, Z. Ahmed. C. Welch, G. H. Mehl, and R. Y. Dong, "Deuteron and proton NMR study of D2, p-dichlorobenzene and 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene in bimesogenic liquid crystals with two nematic phases", Chem. Phys. Lett. 650, 48 (2016).
7.J. Jiang, R. Y. Dong, and M. J. MacLachlan, "Lyotropic liquid crystallinity in mixed-tautomer Schiff-base macrocycles", ChemComm 51, 16205 (2015).
8.A. C. J. Weber, E.E. Burnell, W. L. Meerts, C. A. de Lange, R. Y. Dong, L. Muccioli, A. Pizzirusso, and C. Zannoni, "Molecular dynamics and 1H NMR of n-hexane in liquid crystals", J. Chem. Phys. 143, 011103 (2015).
9. M. Giese, T. Krappitz, R. Y. Dong, C. A. Michald, W. Y. Hamad, B. O. Patrick and M. J. MacLachlan, "Tuning the Photonic Properties of Chiral Nematic Mesoporous
Organosilica with Hydrogen-Bonded Liquid-Crystalline Assemblies", J. Mater. Chem. C, 3, 1537 (2015).
10. A. P. Manning, M. Giese, A. S. Terpstra, M. J. MacLachlan, W. Y. Hamad, R. Y. Dong, C. A. Michal, "NMR of guest-host systems: 8CB in chiral nematic porous glass", Magn. Reson. Chem. 52, 532-539 (2014).
11. A. Ferraz, J. Zhang, P. Sebastiao, A.C. Ribeiro, and R. Y. Dong, "Proton and Deuterium Nuclear Spin Relaxation Study of the SmA and SmC* phases of BP8Cl-d17: a
Self ConsistentAnalysis", Magn. Reson. Chem. 52, 546-555 (2014).
12. M. Giese, J. De Witt, K. Shopsowitz, A. Manning, R. Y. Dong, C. Michal, W.Y. Hamad, and M. MacLachlan, "Thermal Switching of the Re ection in Chiral Nematic
Mesoporous Organosilica Films In ltrated with Liquid Crystals", Applied Materials & Interfaces 5, 6854 (2013).
13. C.H. Lemke, R.Y. Dong, C.A. Michal, and W.Y.Hamad, "New insights into nano-crystalline cellulose structure and morphology based on solid-state NMR", Cellulose,
19, 1619-1629 (2012).
14. A. Aluculesei, V.F. Chavez, C. Cruz, P.J. Sebastiao, N.G. Nagaveni, V. Prasad, and R.Y. Dong, "Proton NMR Relaxation Study on the Nematic Nematic Phase Transition in A131 Liquid Crystal" J. Phys. Chem. B, 116, 9556 (2012).
15. R.Y. Dong, review in IJMPB (2010): see http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/S0217979210056487.
16. J.L. Figueirinhas et al. J. Chem. Phys. 133, 174509 (2010).
17. H.G. Yoon et al. Phys. Rev. E 81, 051706 (2010).
18. R.Y. Dong, and A. Marini, J. Phys. Chem. B 113, 14062 (2009).
1. V. Domenici, C.A. Veracini, V. Novotna, and R.Y. Dong, "Twist grain boundary liquid crystalline phases under the effect of the magnetic field: a complete 2H and 13C NMR study", ChemPhysChem 9, 556 (2008).
2. R.Y. Dong, M. Geppi, A. Marini, V. Hamplova, C.A. Veracini, and J. Zhang, "Orientational Order of a liquid crystal with three chiral centers by a combined C13 NMR and DFT approach", J. Phys. Chem. B 111, 9787 (2007).
3. V. Domenici, A. Marini, C.A. Veracini, J. Zhang, and R.Y. Dong, "Effect of the Magnetic field on the Supermolecular Structure of Chiral Smectic C Phases: $^{2}$H-NMR Studies", ChemPhysChem 8, 2575 (2007).
4. A. Yethiraj, E.E. Burnell, and R.Y. Dong, "The smectic potential in a liquid crystal with a reentrant nematic phase: NMR of solutes", Chem. Phys. Lett., 441, 245 (2007).
5. A.Yethiraj, A.C.J. Weber, R.Y. Dong, and E.E. Burnell,"NMR determination of smectic ordering of probe molecules", J. Phys. Chem. B, 111, 1632 (2007).
6. J. Zhang, A. Ferraz, A.C. Ribeiro, P.J. Sebastiao, and R.Y. Dong, "Deuterium NMR study of a Chiral Smectic C* Phase", Phys. Rev. E 74, 061704 (2006).
7. K. Fodor-Csorba, A. Jakli, A. Vajda, E. Gacs-Baitz, S. K. Prasad, D. S. Shankar Rao, R. Y. Dong, J. Xu, and G. Galli, "Giant Electric field-induced Birefingence in Banana-shaped Liquid Crystals with Carbonate End Group", ChemPhysChem 7, 2184 (2006).
8. J. Zhang, V. Domenici, C. A. Veracini and R.Y. Dong, "Deuterium NMR of TGBA* Phase in Chiral Liquid Crystals", J. Phys. Chem. B 110, 15193 (2006).
9. J. Zhang and R.Y. Dong, "A Comparative Study of Planar Motion of Monomeric and Dimeric Discotics", J. Phys. Chem. B 110, 15075 (2006).
10. J. Zhang and R. Y. Dong, "2H NMR Angle-dependent Spectral Study of Core Dynamics in a Discotic Columnar Phase", Phys. Rev. E, 73, 061704 (2006).
11. J. Xu, R.Y. Dong, V. Domenici, K. Fodor-Csorba and C.A. Veracini, C13 and 2H NMR Study of Structure and Dynamics in Banana B2 Phase of a Bent-core Mesogen", J. Phys. Chem. B 110, 9434 (2006).
12. V. Domenici, M. Geppi, C.A. Veracini and R.Y. Dong, "Molecular dynamics of a ferroelectric smectogen in its smectic phases by means of 2H NMR", Liq. Cryst. 33, 479 (2006).
13. A.V. Zakharov, V. Domenici, C.A. Veracini, and R.Y. Dong, "Nematic Like Viscosity Coefficients of Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals in Their SmC* Phase", Phys. Rev. E 73, 011711 (2006).
14. J. Xu and R.Y. Dong, "Interlayer Self-diffusion and Structure of Chiral Smectic Phases by 2H NMR Exchange Experiment", J. Phys. Chem. B 110, 1221-1228 (2006).
15. J. Xu, C.A. Veracini, and R.Y. Dong, "Structure and Dynamics of chiral ferrielectric Phases by Deuteron NMR", Phys. Rev. E 73, 011705 (2006).
16. R.Y. Dong, J. Xu, J. Zhang, and C.A. Veracini, ``C13 NMR Study of Orientational Ordering in the Chiral C Phase of Partially Deuterated Smectogens", Phys. Rev. E 72, 061701 (2005).
17. J. Xu, C.A. Veracini, and R.Y. Dong, "Interlayer Jump Diffusion in the Smectic-C*_A Phase by Angular Dependent 2H NMR Study", Phys. Rev. E 72, 051703 (2005).
18. R.Y. Dong, and Y.B. Chen,"Head Group Motion in a Lyotropic Lamellar Phase by Deuterium and Nitrogen-14 Relaxation Studies", J. Phys. Chem. B 109, 20220-20226 (2005).