Journal Article

PreJuSER-34038

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Surface Freezing and a Two-Step Pathway of the Isotropic-Smectic Phase Transition in Colloidal Rods

Dogic, Z.FZJ*

2003
APS College Park, Md.

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Please use a persistent id in citations: http://hdl.handle.net/2128/1622  doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.91.165701

Abstract: We study the kinetics of the isotropic-smectic phase transition in a colloidal rod/polymer mixture by visualizing individual smectic layers. First, we show that the bulk isotropic-smectic phase transition is preceded by a surface freezing transition in which a quasi-two-dimensional smectic phase wets the isotropic-nematic interface. Next, we identify a two-step kinetic pathway for the formation of a bulk smectic phase. In the first step a metastable isotropic-nematic interface is formed. This interface is wetted by the surface-induced smectic phase. In the subsequent step, smectic layers nucleate at this surface phase and grow into the isotropic bulk phase.

Keyword(s): J

Note: Record converted from VDB: 12.11.2012

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. Weiche Materie (IFF-WM)

Research Program(s):

1. Kondensierte Materie (M02)

Appears in the scientific report 2003
Notes: Nachtrag
Notes: This version is available at the following Publisher URL: http://prl.aps.org

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