LIQUID-CRYSTALLINE COMPOUNDS .92. AN AMPHIPHILE SYSTEM FORMING A LYOTROPIC BLUE PHASE

A partial phase diagram of the potassium N-tetradecanoyl-L-alaninate/d ecanol/water (+ 10 per cent CsCl) system has been charted using polari zing microscopy, laser diffraction, and NMR spectroscopy. At low amphi phile concentrations, a chiral nematic Ch(D) phase with disc-like mice lles occurs and at higher concentrations there occur a chiral nematic, Ch(C) phase with cylindrical micelles and a chiral version of a dimen sionally-ordered (probably rectangular or hexagonal) phase. Between th e Ch(C) phase and the genuine isotropic liquid there is a chiral isotr opic phase which appears to be a micellar analogue of a thermotropic b lue phase. THis isotropic chiral I(C) phase showed flow birefringence.