The Interdisciplinary Laboratory

Synthesis and Characterization of Liquid Crystals

Glassware for synthesis and spectroscopic instrumentation for characterization of a cholesteric liquid crystal, cholesteryl nonanoate.

Glassware to minimize vapor loss during synthesis and filtration apparatus to obtain a pure, dry final product.

Abbe refractometers for use in determining the birefringent characteristics of the uniaxial cholesteric (twisted nematic) phase resulting from a mixture of cholesteryl chloride and cholesteryl nonanoate.

Click here to see students in the Spring 2000 ID Lab conducting the experiment.