Preliminary Communications. Micellar phases formed by a solution of l-serine hydrochloride decylester and orthophosphoric acid

Polarizing microscope studies showed that the isotropic solution composed of l-serine hydrochloride decylester and orthophosphoric acid forms micellar cholesteric, nematic and lamellar phases, whereas the solution of the optically inactive ester gives micellar nematic and lamellar phases. The phase transitions were tentatively assigned as the result of two concurrent reactions at which ortho-phosphoserine hydrochloride decylester and orthophosphoric acid monodecylester are produced. Dilution of the optically active and the optically inactive lamellar phases with water gave a cholesteric and a nematic phase, respectively. The nematic director is aligned perpendicular to the glass plate, whereas that of the cholesteric phase is aligned parallel.