Ordered fluids of globular supermolecules

A molecular description of the mesomorphic behaviour of globular supermolec ules of radial dendritic architecture is presented. It is based on coarse g rained structural and conformational features, namely, anisometry of the ov erall shape, submolecular partitioning of the interactions and non-convexit y of the supermolecular surface. The relevance of these features to conform ational phase transitions, orientational ordering, layering and microsegreg ation phenomena in ordered fluid phases is studied using density functional theory of deformable bodies and Monte Carlo simulations of rigid fan molec ules. Orientationally ordered and layered phases are found, both in theory and simulation, even in the absence of significant overall shape anisometry .