Development of model colloidal liquid crystals and the kinetics of the isotropic–smectic transition

Abstract

We have prepared a homologous series of › lamentous viruses with varying contour length using molecular cloning techniques. These viruses are monodisperse enough to form a stable smectic phase. Two systems are studied. The › rst system consists of viruses to the surfaces of which the polymers are covalently bound. Through studies of the isotropic{cholesteric phase transition we demonstrate that covalently attached polymers alter the e¬ective diameter of the virus. Additionally, we have produced mixtures of viruses whose ratio of e¬ective diameters varies by a factor of › ve. The second system is composed of mixtures of rod-like viruses and non-absorbing Gaussian polymers. With this system we study the kinetics of the isotropic{smectic phase transition and describe observations of a number of novel metastable structures of unexpected complexity.