https://doi.org/10.1007/s100510050686
Phase transitions in simple models of rod-like and disc-like micelles
FOM Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics,
Kruislaan 407, 1098 SJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Received:
3
December
1997
Published online: 15 March 1999
The interplay of interactions between micelles, and the aggregation of these micelles into large, highly anisotropic micelles, is studied. Simple, hard-body, models of rod-like and disc-like micelles are used, which allows us to apply fundamental measure theory to determine the free energy. Then we study the phase transition from the fluid phase to a liquid crystalline phase. We find that aggregation induces a strongly first order transition from a fluid phase of small micelles to a close packed liquid crystalline phase of infinitely large micelles.
PACS: 64.70.Md – Transitions in liquid crystals / 61.30.Cz – Theory and models of liquid crystal structure / 61.20.-p – Structure of liquids / 61.20.Gy – Theory and models of liquid structure / 61.20.Qg – Structure of associated liquids: electrolytes, molten salts, etc.
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 1999
