CROSSLINKING OF LYOTROPIC LIQUID CRYSTALS IN MAGNETIC FIELDS.

Abstract

Results of an experimental investigation are presented which was carried out in order to freeze the resultant nematic phase in the well-defined aligned orientation by crosslinking of the polymers in magnetic fields to obtain solids, or films with a permanent homeotropic nematic texture. Such solids could be utilized for permanent alignment of solute molecules and thus amount to a novel alignment medium. The liquid crystal that was chosen for the experiment was PBLG (poly- gamma -benzyl-L-glutamate). The product of the magnetic field reaction was examined by microscopy. The observations lead to the conclusion that the reaction product is uniaxial and the alignment was indeed frozen, with the long-chain parts of the polymer stretched out perpendicular to the plane of the film.