Electron microscopic and light scattering observation on a system with two iridescent phases

Electron microscopic observations and classical light-scattering measurements have been carried out for dodecyldimethylaminoxide/hexanol/water mixtures in the concentration range where iridescent colors occur. This system has two different iridescent phases. The iridescent phase with more hexanol forms quickly, and the phase with less hexanol forms very slowly. Three different isotropic phases which show strong flow birefringence are found near both iridescent phases. The electron microscopic pictures show clearly that only one of these isotropic phases with strong flow birefringence is a bicontinuous sponge phase (L_3h -phase). This is the phase which comes out by adding some alkanol to the upper lamellar phase. The flow birefringent phase below the lower lamellar phase forms unilamellar vesicles. The flow birefringent phase which occurs between both iridescent phases contains multilamellar vesicles and is shown to be a precursor of a lamellar phase.