Investigation of the effect of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) polymer in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) + water lyotropic liquid crystal system

In this study, Polyvinylpyrrolidone, a polymer which can be dissolved in water, has been added to a lyotropic liquid crystal system consists of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) which is an amphiphilic molecule and water, at different percentages and its effect on liquid crystals has been researched. Intermediate phase formations have been examined at the transition to ternary system while SDS + water binary system has been kept constant and PVP polymer concentration has been changed. The changes that occurred with the influence of PVP polymer at the ternary system have been examined with polarized microscope and their texture structure has been studied. And birefringent index which is an optical characteristic has been examined at the chosen width range. Thus the effects of polymer concentration on birefringent index in liquid crystal system has been observed.