Current Research: Germano S. Iannacchione

Calorimetric Studies:

* Effect of quenched random disorder on liquid crystal phase transitions by porous aerogels and aerosil dispersions.
* Phase transitions of cylindrically confined nCB liquid crystals as a function of pore surface treatment.
* nCB liquid crystals in a highly restrictive porous glass.
* Smectic-A to Hexatic-B phase transition of PIRn compounds.
* Smectic-A to Hexatic-B phase transition of 65OBC.
* Smectic-A to Smectic-C (and Smectic-C*) transition in 8422 (3M corp.) and 10PPBNn compounds.
* Twisted-grain-boundary (TGB) phases in nOPBNO2 (also known as nAZY) and 8BTF2O1M7 compounds.
* Phase behavior of liquid crystalline polymers and both di- and tri-block copolymers.
* Glass transitions in liquid colloids and polymers.

Static and Dynamic X-ray / Light Scattering Studies:

* Characterization of smectic ordering in quenched random disordered liquid crystals: aerogels and aerosils.
* Characterization of nematic ordering in quenched random disordered liquid crystals: aerosils.
* Fractal structure of thixotropic aerosil gels in an organic fluid host: SAXS.
* Dynamics of aerosil gels in an organic fluid host: XIFS.
* Percolation and rigidity transitions in gels.

NMR Studies:

* Molecular ordering of 5CB in polymer-disperse-liquid-crystal Bragg gratings by deuterium-NMR.
* nCB liquid crystals in a highly restrictive porous glass by deuterium-NMR.
* Molecular mobility and spin-spin relaxation of polymer gels as a function of curative/resin ratio by proton-NMR
* Solvent diffusion and spin relaxation in a water-polymer colloidal system as a function of solvent concentration by
    proton PGSE-NMR.

New Experimental Techniques:

* High-resolution ac-calorimeters.
* Dielectric and NMR Spectrometers.
* Calorimetric spectroscopy and RF-Heating calorimetry.
* Continuous concentration scanning calorimetry.