Phase transitions in liquid crystals

Luminescence-detected phase transitions in lanthanide-containing liquid crystals.

Complexes between lanthanide nitrates and a pro-mesogenic 18-membered diaza-substituted coronand are luminescent both as powders and liquid crystals (between 87 and 195 degrees C), and the phase transitions are detected by monitoring luminescence intensity and lifetime.

Field Induced Chiral-Achiral Transitions in Liquid Crystals

We have considered chiral-achiral phase transitions that can occur in some liquid crystals. This study deals with such transformations induced by external electric and magnetic fields. We discuss phase changes mediated by disclinations, single solitons, soliton lattices and those occurring without any defect. Some unusual aspects ofthese transitions such as reentrance, occurrence of tricritical...

Fluctuations and Liquid Crystal Phase Transitions

In this solicited contribution for the Handbook of Liquid Crystals, edited by G. W. Gray, J. W. Goodby and D. Demus, I summarize the large number of research results where fluctuations play an important role in liquid crystal phase transitions.

A simple molecular theory of smectic C liquid crystals

In the previous chapters we have described several novel phase transitions exhibited by compounds with molecules having longitudinal components of permanent electric dipole moments. As described in Chapter-1, in the smectic C (SmC) phase, the constituent molecules are tilted in the smectic layers. The SmC liquid crystal is made of compounds with molecules having lateral components of dipole mom...

Cholesteric to cholesteric phase transitions in liquid crystals