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

Abstract

We have prepared a homologous series of filamentous 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 first 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 effective diameter of the virus. Additionally, we have produced mixtures of viruses whose ratio of effective diameters varies by a factor of five. 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.