Physical Constants Astro Constants Particle Data Unit Conversion Periodic Tables Materials Safety Nobel Info Exact Time Fund. In 1888, Friedrich Reinitzer was studying the substance cholesteryl benzoate when he discovered that it had two distinct melting points the solid changed first into an opaque liquid, then on raising the temperature further the material became a clear liquid. The intermediate, opaque liquid was termed the liquid crystal phase. Examples are the nematic phase, in which the rods all point in the same direction but have little lateral order, and the smectic phase, in which there is alignment and a degree of lateral order.
Many liquid crystals are simple polymeric organic compounds.
For those that don't know, in LCD displays, use is made of linear polarisers, familiar to most as the glass in polarising sunglasses. This is the basis of the LCD, but between the cross polars the liquid crystals are arranged with a twist . This twist allows light to pass through. However, when an electric field is passed through the liquid crystals, the twist is removed, and so light cannot pass through the area appears black. Include the above question in your e-mail.