9703898 Huang This project on the Characterization of Perfluorinated Liquid- Crystal Compounds and Two Dimensional Behavior of Liquid-Crystal Free-standing Films will focus on the unique molecular arrangement in liquid-crystal free-standing films that makes such films an ideal physical system in which to investigate the effects attributed to the perfluorination of liquid crystal compounds. The free standing liquid crystal films, as thin as two molecular layers, is one of the best systems to investigate two-dimensional physical phenomena without the complicating effects of a substrate. Furthermore, designing a new calorimetric system that will improve by more than five-fold the resolution of the heat capacity measurements while allowing for simultaneous heat capacity and ellipsometry measurements will provide several critical tests of theoretically predicted thermal properties. %%% The unique physical properties of perfluoronated liquid crystals make them one of the best class of host compounds for manufacturing surface stabilized ferroelectric liquid-crystal cells for fast electro-optical switching applications. Determining the properties of new liquid crystal systems are playing an increasingly important role in advancing a number of applications areas that include new materials for infrared and microwave liquid crystal modulators, and fast-switching liquid crystal displays. ***
