Volume 154, Issue 1 pp. 117-126
Article

Thermo-reversible gelation of liquid crystals using di-benzylidene-D-sorbitol

Rob H.C. Janssen

Rob H.C. Janssen

Department of Chemical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands, Fax: +31 40 2436999

Department of Materials, ETH-Zentrum UNO C15, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland

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Volker Stümpflen

Volker Stümpflen

Department of Chemical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands, Fax: +31 40 2436999

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Marysia C.W. van Boxtel

Marysia C.W. van Boxtel

Department of Chemical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands, Fax: +31 40 2436999

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Cees W.M. Bastiaansen

Cees W.M. Bastiaansen

Department of Chemical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands, Fax: +31 40 2436999

Department of Materials, ETH-Zentrum UNO C15, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland

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Dirk J. Broer

Dirk J. Broer

Department of Chemical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands, Fax: +31 40 2436999

Philips Research Laboratories, Prof. Holstlaan 4, 5656 AA Eindhoven, The Netherlands

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Theo A. Tervoort

Theo A. Tervoort

Department of Materials, ETH-Zentrum UNO C15, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland

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Paul Smith

Paul Smith

Department of Materials, ETH-Zentrum UNO C15, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland

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Abstract

Mechanically stable thermo-reversible gels of the liquid-crystal LC-E7 with 1,3:2,4-Di-O-benzylidene-D-sorbitol (DBS) form white light-scattering films that are reversibly switchable to a clear state by AC electric fields. It is established that the light-scattering nature of DBS/LC-E7 gels is an intrinsic material property that originates from the occurence of a monotectic-type point (“mesotectic”) at very low DBS-concentration in the phase diagram of the DBS/LC-E7 system.

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