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Phase Diagrams

Phase Diagrams

A phase diagram combines plots of pressure versus temperature for the liquid-gas, solid-liquid, and solid-gas phase-transition equilibria of a substance. These diagrams indicate the physical states that exist under specific conditions of pressure and temperature and also provide the pressure dependence of the phase-transition temperatures (melting points, sublimation points, boiling points). Regions or areas labeled solid, liquid, and gas represent single phases, while lines or curves represent...

Phase Diagram

Phase Diagram

The phase of a given substance depends on the pressure and temperature. Thus, plots of pressure versus temperature showing the phase in each region provide considerable insights into the thermal properties of substances. Such plots are known as phase diagrams. For instance, in the phase diagram for water (Figure 1), the solid curve boundaries between the phases indicate phase transitions (i.e., temperatures and pressures at which the phases coexist).

Phase Diagram

Phase Diagram

A phase diagram is a graphical representation of the physical states of a substance under different conditions of temperature and pressure. It shows the boundaries between solid, liquid, and gas phases and the conditions at which these phases coexist in equilibrium. An area in a phase diagram represents a single phase, whereas lines or phase boundaries represent the equilibrium between two phases.In the phase diagram of water, the boundary line between the solid and liquid states illustrates...

Phase Transitions: Vaporization and Condensation

Phase Transitions: Vaporization and Condensation

The physical form of a substance changes on changing its temperature. For example, raising the temperature of a liquid causes the liquid to vaporize (convert into vapor). The process is called vaporization—a surface phenomenon. Vaporization occurs when the thermal motion of the molecules overcome the intermolecular forces, and the molecules (at the surface) escape into the gaseous state. When a liquid vaporizes in a closed container, gas molecules cannot escape. As these gas phase molecules...

Phase Contrast and Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy

Phase Contrast and Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy

Phase-Contrast Microscopes
In-phase-contrast microscopes, interference between light directly passing through a cell and light refracted by cellular components is used to create high-contrast, high-resolution images without staining. It is the oldest and simplest type of microscope that creates an image by altering the wavelengths of light rays passing through the specimen. Altered wavelength paths are created using an annular stop in the condenser. The annular stop produces a hollow cone of...

Two Components: Liquid–Liquid Systems

Two Components: Liquid–Liquid Systems

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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Updated: Apr 1, 2026

Synthesis and Characterization of Multi-Modal Phase-Change Porphyrin Droplets

Synthesis and Characterization of Multi-Modal Phase-Change Porphyrin Droplets

Published on: October 15, 2021

Blue-phase liquid crystal droplets.

José A Martínez-González¹, Ye Zhou¹, Mohammad Rahimi¹

¹Institute for Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637;

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

|October 14, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Confining liquid crystals into droplets reveals new blue phases and tunable optical properties. These findings offer liquid-state analogs to nanoparticles for potential applications.

Keywords:

blue phases chiral liquid crystals confinement droplets

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Synthesis and Characterization of Multi-Modal Phase-Change Porphyrin Droplets

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Published on: October 15, 2021

High-Contrast and Fast Photorheological Switching of a Twist-Bend Nematic Liquid Crystal

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Novel Techniques for Observing Structural Dynamics of Photoresponsive Liquid Crystals

Published on: May 29, 2018

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Condensed Matter Physics
Soft Matter Physics

Background:

Blue phases (BPs) are unique liquid crystal states with ordered defect arrays.
Previous research primarily focused on bulk properties of blue phases.
Confinement effects on blue phase morphology and properties remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the behavior of blue phases within spherical droplets.
To explore the impact of confinement on blue phase structures and optical characteristics.
To assess the potential for controlling optical properties through droplet manipulation.

Main Methods:

Systematic experimental study of blue phases in spherical droplets.
Computational simulations to model confined blue phase behavior.
Analysis of optical absorption properties in relation to droplet parameters.

Main Results:

Discovery of novel blue phase morphologies under spherical confinement.
Observed increase in structural complexity with medium chirality and surface anchoring.
Demonstrated control over light absorption wavelengths by tuning droplet size and surface anchoring.
Identified conditions where confinement enhances blue phase stability.

Conclusions:

Confinement significantly alters blue phase structures and introduces new morphologies.
Blue phase droplets exhibit tunable optical properties, analogous to nanoparticles.
Potential for advanced applications in tunable optical materials and devices.