Chapter 4

Phases of liquid crystals


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Pages 4-1 to 4-20

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978-1-64327-684-7

Affiliations

John Carroll University, University Heights, Ohio, USA

Axalta Coating Systems, Orrville, Ohio, USA

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Abstract

Probably the most interesting property of liquid crystals is the variety of mesophases which they often exhibit. These different mesophases are most readily understood and classified by the amount of order they possess. To start this section, the polarized optical microscope is introduced as the instrument now considered standard equipment in modern-day liquid crystalline research. The presentation of liquid crystalline systems under a polarized optical microscope is crucial to understanding the order and characteristics associated with the various mesophases of liquid crystals. Next, the primary phases of liquid crystals are described: the isotropic, nematic, cholesteric (or helical), and smectic phases. Highlights of this section include the schematic representations of molecular systems in these four phases and the accompanying striking photo galleries that illustrate how these phases present under a polarized optical microscope.

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