Chromonic
Encyclopedia
In a chromonic, relatively flat molecules form linear aggregates. For aqueous solution
s, the molecule
s have a flat core, such as a carbon ring
system, with highly water-soluble side groups, such as a sulfonate
or carboxyl. The molecules aggregate in linear stacks with the flat cores lying one on top of the other. The aggregates are continuously growing and shrinking. At low concentration
, most of the molecules exist as isolated monomers. As the concentration increases, the average stack size begins to grow. At a sufficiently high concentration, the long stacks of molecules interfere with each other to form liquid crystal
s.
Aqueous solution
An aqueous solution is a solution in which the solvent is water. It is usually shown in chemical equations by appending aq to the relevant formula, such as NaCl. The word aqueous means pertaining to, related to, similar to, or dissolved in water...
s, the molecule
Molecule
A molecule is an electrically neutral group of at least two atoms held together by covalent chemical bonds. Molecules are distinguished from ions by their electrical charge...
s have a flat core, such as a carbon ring
Benzene
Benzene is an organic chemical compound. It is composed of 6 carbon atoms in a ring, with 1 hydrogen atom attached to each carbon atom, with the molecular formula C6H6....
system, with highly water-soluble side groups, such as a sulfonate
Sulfonate
A sulfonate is a salt or ester of a sulfonic acid. It contains the functional group R-SO2O-.- Sulfonate salts:Anions with the general formula RSO2O− are called sulfonates. They are the conjugate bases of sulfonic acids with formula RSO2OH. As sulfonic acids tend to be strong acids, the...
or carboxyl. The molecules aggregate in linear stacks with the flat cores lying one on top of the other. The aggregates are continuously growing and shrinking. At low concentration
Concentration
In chemistry, concentration is defined as the abundance of a constituent divided by the total volume of a mixture. Four types can be distinguished: mass concentration, molar concentration, number concentration, and volume concentration...
, most of the molecules exist as isolated monomers. As the concentration increases, the average stack size begins to grow. At a sufficiently high concentration, the long stacks of molecules interfere with each other to form liquid crystal
Liquid crystal
Liquid crystals are a state of matter that have properties between those of a conventional liquid and those of a solid crystal. For instance, an LC may flow like a liquid, but its molecules may be oriented in a crystal-like way. There are many different types of LC phases, which can be...
s.