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Related Concept Videos

Phase Transitions02:31

Phase Transitions

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Whether solid, liquid, or gas, a substance's state depends on the order and arrangement of its particles (atoms, molecules, or ions). Particles in the solid pack closely together, generally in a pattern. The particles vibrate about their fixed positions but do not move or squeeze past their neighbors. In liquids, although the particles are closely spaced, they are randomly arranged. The position of the particles are not fixed—that is, they are free to move past their neighbors to...
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Phase Transitions01:21

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A phase transition is the process in which a substance changes from one state of matter to another, like from a solid to a liquid, liquid to gas, or vice versa, at a specific temperature and under given pressure conditions. This change is spontaneous and is affected by alterations in temperature and pressure. These parameters impact the strength of the forces between molecules (intermolecular forces) in the substance.During a phase transition, both the initial and final phases of the substance...
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Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing02:39

Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing

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Heating a crystalline solid increases the average energy of its atoms, molecules, or ions, and the solid gets hotter. At some point, the added energy becomes large enough to partially overcome the forces holding the molecules or ions of the solid in their fixed positions, and the solid begins the process of transitioning to the liquid state or melting. At this point, the temperature of the solid stops rising, despite the continual input of heat, and it remains constant until all of the solid is...
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Two Components: Liquid–Liquid Systems01:27

Two Components: Liquid–Liquid Systems

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A pressure-composition phase diagram explicitly describes the behavior of an ideal solution of two volatile liquids under varying pressures and compositions. A pressure-composition diagram has two main curves. The bubble point curve represents the plot of pressure versus liquid mole fraction. It indicates the pressure at which the first bubble of vapor forms from the liquid phase as the system pressure decreases.The dew point curve is the pressure versus vapor mole fraction. It indicates the...
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Solid–Solid Solutions01:24

Solid–Solid Solutions

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The temperature-composition phase diagram of two solids, A and B, which are immiscible in the solid phase but form miscible liquids, shows that when the temperature is low, these two exist as separate, pure solids (A and B). As the temperature increases, they transition into a single-phase liquid solution where A and B coexist. Moving from point a1 to a2 in the phase diagram, the composition changes such that solid B begins to separate from the solution, enriching the remaining liquid with A.
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Distillation: Vapor–Liquid Equilibria01:01

Distillation: Vapor–Liquid Equilibria

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Distillation is a separation technique that takes advantage of the boiling point properties of disparate elements in a mixture. To perform distillation, we begin by heating a miscible mixture of two liquids with a significant difference in boiling points (at least 20°C). As the solution heats up and reaches the bubble point of the more volatile component, some molecules of the more volatile component transition into the gas phase and travel upward into the condenser, which is a glass tube...
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Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
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Phase transitions and separations in a distorted liquid crystalline mixture.

Nicholas Kasch1, Ingo Dierking1

  • 1School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom.

The Journal of Chemical Physics
|August 17, 2015
PubMed
Summary

This study introduces a new theoretical model for liquid crystal mixtures, incorporating distortion factors to describe phase transitions and defect formation. The model successfully explains how guest compounds can stabilize chiral defect phases like the blue phase and twist grain boundary phase.

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Theoretical Chemistry
  • Condensed Matter Physics

Background:

  • Liquid crystalline mixtures exhibit complex phase behaviors, including transitions and defect formation.
  • Existing theories like Maier-Saupe, Kobayashi-McMillan, and Flory-Huggins provide frameworks for understanding liquid crystal ordering and mixtures.
  • Modeling distorted liquid crystal structures and defect phases requires advanced theoretical approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a novel theoretical method for modeling phase transitions and ranges in multi-component liquid crystal mixtures with distorted structures and defects.
  • To incorporate "distortion factors" into free energy calculations to account for deviations from uniform nematic and smectic-A states.
  • To describe chiral defect phases, such as the blue phase and twist grain boundary phase, within a unified theoretical framework.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the Maier-Saupe and Kobayashi-McMillan theories for liquid crystalline ordering.
  • Employed the Flory-Huggins theory for mixtures.
  • Introduced "distortion factors" into the local free energy expression to model structural deviations.
  • Extended previous work on smectic-A and nematic phases to include chiral defect phases.

Main Results:

  • The proposed method effectively models phase transitions and ranges in complex liquid crystal mixtures.
  • It provides a simple description of chiral defect phases, including the blue phase and twist grain boundary phase.
  • Demonstrated that guest compounds can stabilize the twist grain boundary phase, similar to previously observed effects in the blue phase.

Conclusions:

  • The theoretical method offers a robust approach to understanding phase behavior in distorted liquid crystal systems.
  • The incorporation of distortion factors is crucial for accurately modeling defect phases.
  • The findings suggest potential strategies for stabilizing specific liquid crystal phases through the judicious addition of guest materials.