A novel liquid-crystalline phase in dilute aqueous solutions of methylcellulose

摘要

The existence of liquid-crystalline (LC) phases in dilute methylcellulose solutions is demonstrated by exothermic peaks in differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) curves upon heating and is evidenced by a discontinuity of the dynamic storage modulus when the concentration of methyl-cellulose increases. This crystalline phenomenon is further confirmed by polarized light microscopy and optical rotatory dispersion measurements. It is found that the appearance of the LC formation is related to the temperature, concentration, and molecular weight of methylcellulose.