FORMATION OF LIQUID-CRYSTALLINE PHASES FROM A LANGMUIR MONOLAYER

We report the transformation of a two-dimensional monolayer at the air -water interface into three-dimensional liquid crystalline phases on c ontinuous tuning of the surface molecular density. On compressing a 4' -n-octyl-4-cyanobiphenyl monolayer, at room temperature, we obtain mul tilayer domains whose thicknesses range from a few layers to hundreds of layers. Above 28 degrees C, these domains undergo a phase monolayer . Although these domains originate from a monolayer, we find that they exhibit features typical of liquid crystals.