Extended Data Fig. 5 |. Bright-field optical microscopy images of NLCO structures in aqueous solutions of different surfactants as a function of the mean oligomer chain length, 〈ℓ〉.

NLCO drops in aqueous solutions with different surfactants, i.e., with either cationic (hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, C₁₆TAB) or nonionic (Polysorbate 20, Tween 20) surfactants. These systems exhibit a drop morphology evolution similar to that from SDS, i.e., with respect to cooling and an increase of 〈ℓ〉. After cooling from 90 °C to 20 °C, a representative NLCO drop in a 0.5 mM C₁₆TAB aqueous solution (below CMC, a-c) and a representative NLCO drop in a 0.03 mM Tween 20 aqueous solution (below CMC, d-f). Both evolve with increasing 〈ℓ〉 (consult Fig. 2f in the main text for relation between the oligomerization time and 〈ℓ〉). In all cases, it is important that NLCOs should favor homeotropic anchoring at the drop interface. Images are taken at the room temperature. Scale bars: 20 μm.