Fundamental Measurements on an Aggregated Dye Liquid Crystal

Date
2005
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Producer
Director
Performer
Choreographer
Costume Designer
Music
Videographer
Lighting Designer
Set Designer
Crew Member
Funder
Rehearsal Director
Concert Coordinator
Moderator
Panelist
Alternative Title
Department
Swarthmore College. Dept. of Physics & Astronomy
Type
Thesis (B.A.)
Original Format
Running Time
File Format
Place of Publication
Date Span
Copyright Date
Award
Language
en_US
Note
Table of Contents
Terms of Use
Full copyright to this work is retained by the student author. It may only be used for non-commercial, research, and educational purposes. All other uses are restricted.
Rights Holder
Access Restrictions
Terms of Use
Tripod URL
Identifier
Abstract
The nematic liquid crystal phase is a phase of matter in which the particles have a preferred orientational direction, as opposed to the liquid phase, with no preferred direction, and the solid crystal phase, with an ordered lattice structure. In an aggregated dye, or chromonic, liquid crystal, molecules come together in aggregates, and these aggregates form a liquid crystal. Aggregated dyes that form liquid crystals have been known for some time, but few fundamental measurements have been taken prior to this research. Unlike most liquid crystals, aggregated dye liquid crystals are water-soluble, opening the door to applications of liquid crystals in the fields of biology and medicine. In order to move ahead with explorations of applications and general understanding of chromonic liquid crystals, more must be known about the properties of this phase; thus, this research focuses on one aggregated dye liquid crystal, aqueous Sunset Yellow FCF. Phase diagram measurements, birefringence measurements, and order parameter measurements were obtained for aqueous Sunset Yellow. A general model of the aggregation consistent with both the results of the birefringence measurements and the results of the order parameter measurements is suggested in which the nitrogen-nitrogen double bonds of the Sunset Yellow molecule are perpendicular to the long axis of the aggregate.
Description
Subjects
Citation