  Two-dimensional nematics possess peculiar properties that have been studied
recently using computer simulation and various theoretical models. Here we
review our own contribution to the field using density-functional theory, and
present some preliminary simulation results on confined two-dimensional
nematics. First we discuss the possible stable bulk phases and phase diagrams
and the relation between phases and particle geometry. We then explore the
adsorption properties on a single substrate and the confinement effects that
arise when the fluid is confined between parallel walls. Next, confinement in
circular cavities is presented; this geometry allows us to measure some
properties of the simplest defects that arise in two-dimensional nematics.
Finally, preliminary Monte Carlo simulation results of confined nematics in
circular geometry are shown.
