Besides nanostructured materials, individual particles are key elements for nanosciences. The structuring properties of liquid crystals (LCs) are appealing to assemble them, to organize them on substrates or to design functional composites. We present here an overview on particles/LC systems, the size of the dispersed particles being larger than the typical LC length. We first summarize the large number of advances made these last 10 years concerning microparticles assemblies. We then discuss the evolution of the relevant interactions between nanoparticles (NPs) dispersed in LCs when their size decreases from micrometers to nanometers. Various NPs assemblies obtained, either in LC bulk, at interfaces or within LC distorted areas or topological defects are then reported and discussed. Finally, we consider the recent possibilities to use NPs as building elements of complex fluids. We discuss accordingly the LC phases, which can be obtained with pure inorganic NPs in concentrated solution, as well as the self-assemblies which can be obtained when NPs are covered by organic mesogenic ligands.

除了纳米结构材料之外，单个颗粒也是纳米科学的关键元素。液晶（LC）的结构性质吸引人，可以将它们组装，组织在基板上或设计功能性复合材料。我们在此概述了颗粒/ LC系统，分散的颗粒尺寸大于典型的LC长度。我们首先总结近十年来在微粒组装方面取得的大量进展。然后，我们讨论了分散在LC中的纳米颗粒（NP）尺寸从微米减小到纳米时相关相互作用的演变。然后报告并讨论了以LC本体，界面处或LC扭曲区域或拓扑缺陷中获得的各种NP组件。最后，我们考虑了使用NP作为复杂流体的构建元素的最新可能性。因此，我们讨论了LC相（可以由纯无机NP在浓溶液中获得）以及自组装（当NP被有机介晶配体覆盖时获得的自组装）。