Liquid crystalline fractals: dilatation invariant growth structures in the phase ordering process of 'banana-phases'.

A review. The bent-core mols., constituting the so-called liq. cryst. 'banana-phases', undergo a phase ordering process via aggregates of fractal dimensionality. The phase ordering process from the isotropic liq. to the liq. cryst. state, as well as the transition from the liq. crystal to the cryst. state, is characterized in terms of fractal dimensions of growth aggregates. Systematic studies of the phase formation process of different 'banana-phases' as a function of time, aggregate size, cell gap, quench depth and quench rate suggest a general phase ordering process via a percolation mechanism. [on SciFinder (R)]