Quasi-liquid crystals of thermochromic spiropyrans. A material intermediate between supercooled liquids and mesophases

FP Shvartsman, VA Krongauz

Index: Shvartsman, Felix P.; Krongauz, Valeri A. Journal of Physical Chemistry, 1984 , vol. 88, # 25 p. 6448 - 6453

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Citation Number: 15

Abstract

Crystals of thermochromic spiropyrans containing mesogenic groups give isotropic melts. However, these materials form metastable films with mesogenic properties below the crystal melting points. A strong birefringence of the films appears concommitantly with the thermoconversion of-5% of the spiropyran into the colored merocyanine form. The mesophase is stabilized on alignment in an electrostatic field. Measurements of the optical ...