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Abstract
A simple mean field theory is introduced to describe volume phase transitions of gels dissolved in a liquid crystal solvent. We predict that the gel shows the second-order volume phase transition at the nematic-isotropic transition temperature T°NI of the pure liquid crystals existing outside of the gel. Below T°NI , the gel is condensed due to the nematic ordering of the pure liquid crystals. We also find the first-order volume phase transition in the isotropic phase above T°NI .