Deformation of liquid crystal particles in a poly(vinyl alcohol) matrix

The orientation of symmetry elements of spheroidal particles of nematic and nematocholesteric liquid crystals and their deformation upon isometric the rmal treatment of poly(vinyl alcohol) films with encapsulated liquid crysta ls were investigated by optical microscopy. For two samples of poly(vinyl a lcohol), distribution functions for liquid crystal particles over the degre e of anisometry were found to be identical. It was found that, in the case of nematocholesteric liquid crystal, whose particles have a more complex te xture, the particle deformation produced by isometric thermal treatment is greater than for the nematic. This is due to the orientation of poly(vinyl alcohol) macromolecules at the surface of anisotropic particles during the formation of films from emulsions of the liquid crystals in the polymer sol ution.