Mesophase formation

The importance of unsaturation is illustrated by the fact that 2,4-nonadienoic acid [21643-39-0] forms a Hquid crystal phase, whereas the aHphatic carboxyHc acids do not. The two double bonds enhance the polarizabiHty of the molecule and bring iatermolecular attractions to a level that is suitable for mesophase formation. The overall linearity of the molecule must not be sacrificed ia poteatial Hquid crystal candidates. For example, whereas /n j - -aIkoxyciaaamic acids (5) are mesomorphic, the cis isomers (6) are not, a reflection of the greater anisotropy of the trans isomer. 

The polyamides are soluble in high strength sulfuric acid or in mixtures of hexamethylphosphoramide, /V, /V- dim ethyl acetam i de and LiCl. In the latter, compHcated relationships exist between solvent composition and the temperature at which the Hquid crystal phase forms. The polyamide solutions show an abmpt decrease in viscosity which is characteristic of mesophase formation when a critical volume fraction of polymer ( ) is exceeded. The viscosity may decrease, however, in the Hquid crystal phase if the molecular ordering allows the rod-shaped entities to gHde past one another more easily despite the higher concentration. The Hquid crystal phase is optically anisotropic and the texture is nematic. The nematic texture can be transformed to a chiral nematic texture by adding chiral species as a dopant or incorporating a chiral unit in the main chain as a copolymer (30). 

Mesophase formation in coal-tar pitch is encouraged by a reduction of the natural quinoline-insoluble matter content, which resembles carbon black but is not optically anisotropic and is characterized by an atomic carbon hydrogen ratio of 4 1. In contrast, the atomic carbon hydrogen ratio of mesophase is about 2 1. 

D. M. Riggs, The Characterisation andKinetic Mechanism of Mesophase Formation in High Molecular Weight Carbonaceous Materials, Ph.D. dissertation, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y., 1979. 

Similar behavior can occur when a crystalline network is disassembled by adding a solvent rather than by heating. These mesogens are called lyotropic liquid crystals and the mesophase formation shows temperature and concentration dependence. They are very important in biological systems, but have been much less studied in materials science. 

Table I demonstrates that most liquid crystalline polymers lacking a spacer are formed from a flexible polyacrylate backbone. In contrast, the methyl substituent in polymethacrylate backbones both reduce main chain mobility and imposes additional steric barriers to mesophase formation. Therefore, successful liquid crystalline formation of polymethacrylates has been achieved only...

Both our bundle model and MMP s may also be useful approaches to represent the first stage of a polymer mesophase formation from an amorphous system, a process which can be considered a specific mode of polymer crys-... 

Solid films of our block copolymers and their surface behavior have been examined using a variety of techniques. Block copolymers composed of incompatible polymer blocks are known for mesophase formation as a consequence of the microphase separation of the chains. Our fluorinated block copolymers form a microphase-separated structure with a high degree of order. This can easily be visualized by polarization microscopy and SAXS. 

Incipient Mesophase Initial stage of mesophase formation transition stage between amorphous and mesophase... 

Investigators of cellulosic liquid crystals have two main motivations to study mesophase formation primarily from a scientific viewpoint or a technolomcsd vie oint. The main focus of the latter has been on the potential of preparing high strength/high modulus regenerated cellulose fibers. Another potentim use of cellulosic liquid crystal derivatives is as chiroptical filters (S,lfi). 

Part of a molecule or macromolecule endowed with sufficient anisotropy in both attractive and repulsive forces to contribute strongly to LC mesophase, or, in particular, to LC mesophase formation in low-molar-mass and polymeric substances. 

Note 1 At one time it was thought that a non-amphiphilic molecule had to be long and rod-like for mesophase formation, but it has now been established that molecules of other types and shapes, for example, disc-like and banana-shaped molecules, may also form mesophases. (See ref. 6). 

When mesophase, that is, liquid crystal, consisting of three components of bile salt, lecithin and cholesterol was produced, deposition of calcium salts of bile acids was observed on the cholesterol disk surface. The relation between mesophase formation and calcification will be elucidated in this paper. 

In general, GUDC is known to produce a mesophase during dissolution of cholesterol(CHL) in the presence of lecithin(EL) in vitro, eind then increases the dissolution rate of CHL ty the mesophase formation. However, the effect is less than that of GCDC in vivo. 

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