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Occurrence of liquid-crystalline mesophases in microemulsion dispersions

Nature volume 320, pages 338–340 (1986)Cite this article

Abstract

Although microemulsion dispersions have compositions which are related to lyotropic liquid crystals, their possible structures are not normally considered to be crystalline. As described here, small-angle neutron diffraction spectra have been obtained from some oil–water microemulsion dispersions, and display peaks which correspond to lamellar, hexagonal and cubic arrangements, similar to those observed in lyotropic liquid crystals. The formation of these liquid crystal mesophases (mesomorphic phases) seems to be a general feature of microemulsion compositions and not an isolated example.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CEA–IRDI–DESICP, Département de Physico-Chimie, Centre d'Etudes Nucléaires de Saclay, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, Cedex, France

    J. Tabony

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  1. J. Tabony
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Tabony, J. Occurrence of liquid-crystalline mesophases in microemulsion dispersions. Nature 320, 338–340 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/320338a0

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