Liquid crystal science underlies the technology of about half the current display technology by value, an industry now worth some $10 billion per annum worldwide. The fundamental science straddles the disciplines of chemistry, physics, engineering, mathematics and computer science. Among liquid crystal scientists today there is much interest in the historical process that has brought the subject to its present level. The historical roots lie in the years following 1888, again in the interwar years, and finally in the late 60s and 70s. This book has collected important papers in the development of liquid crystal science into one reference volume. The collection is divided into sections, each of which is prefaced by a brief commentary, referring to the historic-scientific context of the time. Some of these papers are available for the first time in English. More modern papers carry a short commentary from the original author, offering recollections of the context in which the work was carried out and what its impact has been. Crystals that Flow is aimed at liquid crystal scientists- from whatever background- physics, mathematics, chemistry, engineering or computer science. Historians of science will also find this a useful reference.

In 1959, about 1400 compounds forming liquid crystalline phases were known; by 1992, this number had increased to about 50 000. In portable devices like wristwatches, pocket caculators, measuring instruments, and laptop computers the liquid crystal display technology has gained total acceptance and is on the way to encompass the market of colour TV screens. This development makes a volume devoted to liquid crystals in the series "Topics in Physical " "Chemistry" desirable. Following the concept of this series, an easy introduction to liquid crystals is given, enabling the reader to understand the basic problems of liquid crystals research and application. Because of the widespread field of different research activities in liquid crystals and applications, various competent authors have been involved in writing chapters on: - Phase types, structures, and chemistry of liquid crystals; - Thermodynamical behavior and physical properties of thermotropic liquid crystals; - Liquid crystalline polymers; - Lyotropic liquid crystals; - Application of liquid crystals in spectroscopy; - Application of liquid crystals in display technology.

Lyotrope Flussigkristalle stellen den altesten Typ des vierten Zustandes der Materie dar, welcher die Eigenschaften kristalliner Festkoerper und normaler Flussigkeiten in sich vereint und deshalb Mesophase genannt wird. Trotz vielfaltiger Anwendungsmoeglichkeiten in Medizin, Pharmazie und Kosmetik fuhren sie im Vergleich zu den konkurrierenden thermotropen Mesophasen immer noch ein Schattendasein. Ziel dieses Buches ist es, den Chemikern, Physikern und Pharmazeuten sowie Studenten hoeherer Semester die Grundlagen lyotroper Flussigkristalle nahezubringen, ihre Verwandtschaft sowie Unterschiede zu thermotropen Flussigkristallen herauszuarbeiten und die vielfaltigen Moeglichkeiten ihrer Anwendung aufzuzeigen.