Chromonic Liquid Crystals: A New Form of Soft Matter
The spontaneous aggregation of certain dyes into structures that form an aqueous-based liquid crystal represents a new form of soft matter, with properties and applications very different from conventional liquid crystals. Understanding the self-assembly process and determining the structure of the aggregates represents a challenge that can only be overcome by using a variety of experimental techniques. This talk describes how theory and experiment (x-ray diffraction, polarized light microscopy, and other optical measurements) have uncovered the behavior and structure of this new liquid crystal phase.