Cryostream 700 jet

The X-ray diffraction was performed with an in-house X-ray facility. X-rays were produced using a Rigaku MicroMax 007 micro-focus copper rotating anode generator running at 40kV, 20 mA and focussed onto the crystal using confocal multilayer optics. The temperature was controlled by an Oxford Cryosystems Cryostream 700 jet. Data were accumulated using a MarResearch MAR345 image plate detector system. Microscopy Observation. Tapping mode AFM imaging was performed at r.t on a Bruker Multimode 8 instrument with Nanoscope V controller. An Olympus BX-50 transmitted-light polarizing microscope equipped with a Mettler FP82 hotstage and a Coolsnap-Pro digital camera was used to observe the texture of the LCs.

The 2D X-ray diffraction patterns were recorded using an X-ray system consisting of a Rigaku MicroMax 007 micro-focus copper rotating anode generator running at 40 kV, 20 mA and confocal multilayer optics. The AAO plate was mounted vertically on a motorized 3-axis goniometer and rotated about the vertical axis (see Fig. 3). The temperature was controlled using an Oxford Cryosystems Cryostream 700 jet. The detector was a MarResearch MAR345 image plate system. 2D X-ray diffraction patterns at different rotation angles F were recorded. The capillaries with the samples were mounted horizontally and perpendicular to the incident beam. The capillary tubes were well aligned so that their long axis was co-linear with the rotation axis of the goniometer. Capillaries were rotated around their long axis and diffraction patterns were taken at different rotation angles a, as well as at different displacements x of the capillary along its axis.