Symmetry-breaking phase transitions in liquid crystals (LCs) are often accompanied by the formation of topological defects (TDs), which are discontinuous configurations of a matter field characterized by topological invariants. Material properties are often dependent on formation history and thus on domain coarsening structures and TD annihilation . This behaviour is observed in other condensed matter systems, such as alloys and semiconductors. LCs provide a versatile system for studying TD dynamics due to easy manipulation by external stimuli while their inherent optical birefringence facilitates in-situ observation on practical time scales. In comparison to TD annihilation, the TD formation process has rarely been investigated in LCs . Progress in electro-optic display technology using nematic LCs originates from their long range orientational order and dielectric anisotropy. Further advancement requires either chemically synthesizing new LCs or altering existing LCs by doping with nanomaterials. The latter is more cost-effective, simpler and less intensive while delivering fast response times and low threshold voltages. However, a review of nano-dopants revealed an inconsistent picture of their beneficial effects on LC properties . To this end, more systematic investigation of the effect of size and anchoring strength of nano-dopants on the physical properties of a nematic LC (i.e. nematic LC composites) is needed.