Phase transitions in colloidal dispersions in a liquid crystalline medium

Abstract

We present experimental studies on colloidal suspensions in a lyotropic system exhibiting an isotropic-nematic-lamellar phase sequence upon decreasing the temperature. The particles are found to undergo a gas-liquid transition in the nematic phase of the suspending medium, indicating the existence of an attractive interparticle interaction. The resulting liquid phase is weakly anisotropic. Further, the nematic-lamellar transition of the liquid crystal is found to be accompanied by a liquid-solid transition of the particles.