Thermotropic liquid crystals embedded in a high water gel system |
| |
Authors: | A Seeboth A R Mackie D C Clark S A Clark |
| |
Institution: | (1) Present address: Max-Planck-Institut für Kolloid- und Grenzflächenforschung, Rudower Chaussee 5, 12489 Berlin, Germany;(2) AFRC Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK |
| |
Abstract: | An emulsion was formed when the thermotropic liquid crystal (LC) mixture E5 was added to an aqueous polyvinylalcohol (pva) solution and shaken. This emulsion was gelled by addition of an aqueous borax solution. The pva polymer functioned not only as the gelling agent but also appeared to act as a polymeric surfactant which stabilised the LC droplets. This high water gel-liquid crystal (HWG-LC) system contained nearly 80 wt % water and more LC wt % than polymer. The system was thermally reversible, undergoing a gel to sol transition upon heating to 70°C and reforming a gel upon cooling. The HWG-LC showed electrooptical behaviour dependent upon a switched electric field when constrained between transparent electrodes. The pressure required to form a thin film between these electrodes induced a structural emulsion in the dispersion causing LC droplet disruption and the formation of an LC network in the gel. |
| |
Keywords: | Liquid crystal emulsion gel polyvinylalcohol electrooptic |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |