Lyotropic liquid-crystalline mesophases and a novel, solid physical form of some water-soluble, reactive dyes

Abstract

A novel, solid physical form has been observed when some water-soluble, reactive dyes are isolated from aqueous solution, as sodium salts, by the addition of sodium chloride. This quasi-crystalline form has a fibrous morphology, is birefringent but is not crystalline. Dyes of this type are known to form lyotropic liquid-crystalline mesophases in water. Preliminary X-ray diffraction investigations, reported here, for the mesophases formed by two such dyes indicate that they have columnar structures of the type first proposed for the lyotropic mesophases of the disodium chromglycate/water system and subsequently for other drug and dye molecules. X-ray and electron diffraction studies of the quasi-crystalline form show that it has a closely related columnar structure. The quasi-crystalline form is postulated to result from the formation and subsequent precipitation of columnar dye aggregates, as sodium chloride is added to the aqueous dye solution.