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Title: Phase chirality and stereo-selective swelling of cholesteric elastomers. Author: Courty S, Tajbakhsh AR, Terentjev EM. Journal: Eur Phys J E Soft Matter; 2003 Dec; 12(4):617-25. PubMed ID: 15007759. Abstract: Cholesteric elastomers possess a macroscopic "phase chirality" as the director n rotates in a helical fashion along an optical axis z and can be described by a chiral order parameter alpha. This parameter can be tuned by changing the helix pitch p and the elastic properties of the network at formation. The cholesterics also possess a local nematic order, changing with temperature or during solvent swelling. In this paper, by measuring the power of optical rotation d upsilon /dz , we discover how these two parameters vary as functions of temperature or solvent adsorbed by the network. The main result is a finding of pronounced stereo-selectivity of cholesteric elastomers, demonstrating itself in the retention of the "correct" chirality component of a racemic solvent. It has been possible to quantify the amount of such stereo-separation, and the basic dynamics of the effect.[Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]