Phase behavior of the liquid crystal 8CB in a silica aerogel

Journal Article · Mon Aug 03 00:00:00 EDT 1992 · Physical Review Letters; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.69.788· OSTI ID:7154552

Bellini, T; Clark, N A; Muzny, C D ^[1]; Wu, L; Garland, C W ^[2]; Schaefer, D W; Oliver, B J ^[3]

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1. Condensed Matter Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309 (United States)
2. Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States)
3. Sandia National Laboratory, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185 (United States)

Light scattering and precision calorimetry show that the nematic ordering of octylcyanobiphenyl (8CB) filling the connected network of pores of a silica aerogel does not occur via the first-order phase transition characteristic of the bulk. Rather, ordering is continuous with an orientational correlation length never increasing beyond the aerogel pore size. The heat-capacity anomly of the second-order nematic--smectic-{ital A} phase transition seen in the bulk is absent or greatly broadened in the aerogel.

• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 7154552
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters; (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review Letters; (United States) Vol. 69:5; ISSN PRLTA; ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

665430* -- Other Topics in Quantum Fluids & Solids-- (1992-)
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
AEROSOLS
CALORIMETRY
CHALCOGENIDES
COLLOIDS
CRYSTALS
DISPERSIONS
FLUIDS
GELS
LIGHT SCATTERING
LIQUID CRYSTALS
LIQUIDS
MATERIALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHASE STUDIES
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POROUS MATERIALS
SCATTERING
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON OXIDES
SOLS
SPECIFIC HEAT
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES