Anchoring Transition Induced by Gelation

Optical polarizing microscopy images exhibiting ANT

A novel type of anchoring transition (ANT) driven by the physical gelation of a nematic liquid crystal is discovered. The ANT manifests as an anomaly in the thermal behaviour of the dielectric permittivity. Data from X-Ray studies suggest that ANT is caused by the ability of the gel fibres to compete with the substrate-driven orientation conditions. It is further found that the molecular reorientation is possible only in cases where the gel is weak, the difference between weak and strong gels being established by rheological measurements. See ChemPhysChem 14, 331-337 (2013).

Posted by Geetha Nair