Acoustically assisted orientation stabilization of hyperswollen lyotropic lamellar phase

The hyperswollen lyotropic lamellar (HL) phase of dilute amphiphilic solutions often shows selective reflection of visible light that depends on the direction, and it is expected to work as an anisotropic color material. However, the orientation of lyotropic liquid crystalline (LC) phases generally cannot be controlled as easily as that of thermotropic LC phases. Here, we report that surface anchoring determines the orientation of the HL phase, and ultrasonic irradiation can accelerate equilibration of the orientation. The combination of surface anchoring and the accelerating effect of ultrasonic irradiation may enable the use of the HL phase in new devices.