  We consider a mesoscale model for nano-sized metaparticles (MPs) composed of
a central sphere decorated by polymer chains with laterally attached
spherocylinder. The latter mimics the mesogenic (e.g., cyanobiphenyl) group.
Molecular dynamics simulations of $100$ MPs reveal the existence of two novel
morphologies: $\textrm{uCol}_\mathrm{h}$ (hexagonal columnar arrangement of MPs
with strong uniaxial order of mesogens collinear to the columns axis) and
$\mathrm{wCol}_\mathrm{h}$ [the same arrangement of MPs but with weak or no
liquid crystalline (LC) order]. Collinearity of the LC director and the
columnar axis in $\textrm{uCol}_\mathrm{h}$ morphology indicates its
potentially different opto-mechanical response to an external perturbation as
compared to the columnar phase for the terminally attached mesogens.
Preliminary analysis of the structures of both phases is performed by studying
the order parameters and by visualisation of the MPs arrangements. Different
mechanisms for the mesogens reorientation are pointed out for the cases of
their terminal and lateral attachment.
