July 2010 featured liquid crystal picture
(© Giuliano Zanchetta)
The picture reproduces the transition from the columnar liquid crystalline (LC) phase to the crystalline phase in a concentrated aqueous solution of small fragments of double-stranded DNA (12 nucleotides long self-complementary sequences: CGCGAATTCGCG).
Aqueous solutions of short DNA helices were recently found to show a wide range of LC phases (including chiral nematic and hexagonal columnar) via the end-to-end adhesion and consequent stacking of the duplex oligomers into polydisperse anisotropic rod-shaped aggregates (M.Nakata et al. Science 318, 1276 (2007)).
The picture was taken in polarized transmission optical microscopy on a TE200 Nikon Microscope, with a Nikon DS-5M camera. Image size is about 400 x 300 micrometers (20x objective). The sample is between two glass slides spaced by a 10 micrometers film.
Read more about the artist, Giuliano Zanchetta.
Jury comment: This picture was selected by several members of the public who felt it was extremely beautiful. They did not have expertise in Liquid Crystals, but thought that the picture was reminiscent of looking down from an aeroplane!.
More pictures can be found in the gallery of liquid crystal pictures of the month.
Aqueous solutions of short DNA helices were recently found to show a wide range of LC phases (including chiral nematic and hexagonal columnar) via the end-to-end adhesion and consequent stacking of the duplex oligomers into polydisperse anisotropic rod-shaped aggregates (M.Nakata et al. Science 318, 1276 (2007)).
The picture was taken in polarized transmission optical microscopy on a TE200 Nikon Microscope, with a Nikon DS-5M camera. Image size is about 400 x 300 micrometers (20x objective). The sample is between two glass slides spaced by a 10 micrometers film.
Read more about the artist, Giuliano Zanchetta.
Jury comment: This picture was selected by several members of the public who felt it was extremely beautiful. They did not have expertise in Liquid Crystals, but thought that the picture was reminiscent of looking down from an aeroplane!.
More pictures can be found in the gallery of liquid crystal pictures of the month.
