Lyotropic liquid crystal polymerization

Khoklov, A. R. and Grosberg, A. Yu. Statistical Theory of Polymeric Lyotropic Liquid Crystals. Vol. 41, pp. 53-97. 

Order and Mobility are two basic principles of mother nature. The two extremes are realized in the perfect order of crystals with their lack of mobility and in the high mobility of liquids and their lack of order. Both properties are combined in liquid crystalline phases based on the selforganization of formanisotropic molecules. Their importance became more and more visible during the last years in Material science they are a basis of new materials, in Life science they are important for many structure associated functions of biological systems. The main contribution of Polymer science to thermotropic and lyotropic liquid crystals as well as to biomembrane models consists in the fact that macromolecules can stabilize organized systems and at the same time retain mobility. The synthesis, structure, properties and phototunctionalization of polymeric amphiphiles in monolayers and multilayers will be discussed. 

Statistical Theory of Polymeric Lyotropic Liquid Crystals... 

It is well-known that the tendency to form a liquid-crystalline phase is most pronounced for those substances which molecules have an elongated shape. Stiff-chain macromolecules are obviously good examples of this kind. Their asymmetry can be so large that they can form liquid-crystalline phase not only in the bulk but also in the solution. In the latter case, liquid crystals are called polymeric lyotropic liquid crystals. It is the theory of this type of liquid crystals that will be considered in the present paper. 

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