Figure 1: A sketch of the L3 phase liquid crystal structure, derived from electron microscopy done on freeze fractured samples, as well as theoretical considerations. The pore diameters are uniform, but are randomly interconnected in all three dimensions resulting in short range order with long range disorder. The bilayer forming the liquid crystal can then be templated by a silica layer to cap...

Structural analyses were performed to determine the local structure of liquid TiCl4 using laboratory-scale X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy from which the existence of tetrahedral TiCl4 molecules in the liquid was definitely confirmed. Conventionally, in molten salts, the valence increase of the central metal ion, for example in the range from 1 to 3, leads to more complicated liquid st...

A study of the liquid alloys of the simple eutectic systems Au-Si and AuCre at selected compositions has demonstrated a pattern of behaviour very similar to that seen in the related gold-based system Au-Sn. The sharp x ray diffraction profile of Au-Ge liquid alloys at the gold-rich end demonstrates that the structure, like that of pure Au. is simple, close-packed but with a mean closest distanc...

Application of gel polymer electrolytes (GPE) in lithium-ion polymer batteries can address many shortcomings associated with liquid electrolyte lithium-ion batteries. Due to their physical structure, GPEs exhibit lower ion conductivity compared to their liquid counterparts. In this work, we have investigated and report improved ion conductivity in GPEs doped with ionic liquid. Samples containin...

Pulmonary surfactant facilitates breathing by forming a surface tension reducing film at the air-liquid interface of the alveoli. The objective was to characterize the structure of surfactant films using endogenous rat surfactant. Solid-support surfactant films, at different surface pressures, were obtained using a Langmuir balance and were analyzed using atomic force microscopy. The results sh...