5. Mesomorphic polymers

Here, we're going to study a polymer that is neither amorphous nor crystalline, and whose structure has been clarified by dark-field electron microscopy. The polymer in question has a cholesteric structure. The cholesteric structure is one of the mesomorphic structures, also known as liquid crystals, which are intermediate between the crystalline and amorphous structures. Liquid crystals are generally made up of rigid, elongated rod-shaped molecules that can be aligned like matchsticks, adding an order of orientation to the order of position. This order of orientation can be found with macromolecules whose parts are rigid, or even with flexible molecules that can be aligned by stretching. Manufacturing processes...