The optical behavior of lyotropic liquid crystalline polymer gel networks: Dependence on temperature

Gel networks with interesting optical properties have been prepared on the basis of a highly ordered aqueous polymer lyotropic liquid crystalline phase, embedded in a thermally stable polymer network. The optical transparency changes reversibly with an increasing or decreasing temperature of a few degrees up to a contrast ratio of 85:1. Different lyotropic phases exist in close proximity in the system, for example a schlieren texture (see Figure) and a radial droplet structure.