9312634 Labes In this project, two themes of importance to current liquid crystal research are chosen for intensive study. The first is to understand how the macroscopic periodic structures which develop during reorientation of liquid crystals affect their properties. The fundamental study of the dynamics of formation and relaxation of a liquid crystal polymer film will continue. Annealing the resulting solid films with and without tension and/or orienting fields being applied will be investigated. Both main chain and side chain liquid crystal polymers will be examined. Utilizing optical probes, the fluctuations in the orientational ordering and light scattering in these films under various processing conditions will be studied. The second theme involves the utilization of low molecular weight nematic or cholesteric liquid crystals as reaction media. The investigations set the stage for attempts at chiral synthesis in cholesteric media, for a mechanistic understanding of the reactivity control at phase transitions, and for a systematic exploration of the range of utility of liquid crystals as solvent media. ***
