Liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) are complex systems that include features of both orientationally ordered mesophases and amorphous polymers. Frequently, the isotropic amorphous state cannot be studied due to the rapid mesophase formation. Here, a new main chain LCP, poly(triethyleneglycol methyl p,p'-bibenzoate), PTEMeB, has been synthesized. It shows a rather slow mesophase formation making...

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) is currently being investigated as a possible technique in the production of high quality mesophase pitch from coal tar and petroleum pitches. Mesophase pitch is used to make high technology products, such as carbon fibre. The conventional production of mesophase pitch initially involves the removal of low molecular weight species from coal tar and petroleum...

Crossover of mesophase to crystalline structure in the nanoconfinement crystallization process of frustrated side groups elucidates the critical crystal thickness d(c) or the length scale of side groups, which defines the transition process from mesophase (hexagonal and monoclinic phase) to crystalline phase (orthorhombic phase) of confined CH(2) sequences in a given crystal size restriction.

based on the {s+, i-} pathway, the concentration of surfactant and surface charge density of silanolate groups control the phase transition from lamellar, to hexagonal through cubic form. the high surface charge density of silanolate groups was observed for the lamellar phase. with decrease of molar concentration of surfactant on the gel, the yield of reaction decreases and the stability of mes...

Uranyl triflate forms with three imidazo[4,5-f]-1,10-phenanthroline ligands a propeller-like complex that exhibits a hexagonal columnar phase. The ligand is not liquid-crystalline, but a mesophase is induced upon complex formation with the uranyl salt. The thermal behavior has been investigated by polarizing optical microscopy and by high-temperature X-ray diffraction. A model of the stacking o...

For the first time the flexible cyclopentyl ring is used to build mesogenic units, and thus a novel mesogen-jacketed liquid crystalline polymer (MJLCP) poly(dicyclopentyl vinylterephthalate) is synthesized. The polymer forms a stable mesophase which changes to an isotropic phase at 2678C. The formation of a stable mesophase may be attributed to the spatial interaction among flexible side groups...

This article gives an overview on recent developments concerning the twist-bend nematic phase. The twist-bend nematic phase has been discussed as the missing link between the uniaxial nematic mesophase (N) and the helical chiral nematic phase (N*). After an introduction discussing the key physical properties of the NTB phase and the methods used to identify the twist-bend nematic mesophase this...

A simple and inexpensive protocol for producing crystals in the sticky and viscous mesophase used for membrane protein crystallization by the in meso method is described. It provides crystals that appear within 15-30 min of setup at 293 K. The protocol gives the experimenter a convenient way of gaining familiarity and a level of comfort with the lipidic cubic mesophase, which can be daunting as...

Translational and orientational excluded-volume fields encoded in particles with anisotropic shapes can lead to purely entropy-driven assembly of morphologies with specific order and symmetry. To elucidate this complex correlation, we carried out detailed Monte Carlo simulations of six convex space-filling polyhedrons, namely, truncated octahedrons, rhombic dodecahedrons, hexagonal prisms, cube...

The lipid cubic phase or in meso method can be used to set up crystallization trials of soluble and membrane proteins. The cubic phase is noted for being a sticky and viscous mesophase. Dispensing the protein-laden mesophase by hand into wells on crystallization plates has been facilitated by the use of an inexpensive repeat dispenser. However, the assembled dispensing device is prone to damage...