Mesophase Formation in Binary Mixtures of Berberine and Glacial Acetic Acid

Abstract

We report the results of our studies on the optical and thermal properties of binary mixture of compounds, viz., Berberine (BBE) and Glacial acetic acid (GAA). The mixture shows very interesting coexistent nematic biphase (N+I) and nematic phase for different concentrations of BBE sequentially when the specimen is cooled from its isotropic phase. The order parameter (S) of the coexistent nematic biphase is estimated with the help of optical anisotropy from the measured refractive index and density data. The temperature variation curve of experimentally found order parameter is well fitted with the Maier–Saupe theoretical curve. The temperature variation of electrical conductivity is also discussed. Formation of above molecular orientations has been confirmed by optical studies.

Keywords:

• Binary mixture
• lyotropic chromonic
• molecular aggregation
• nematic
• order parameter