Thermotropic crystal

A liquid crystal (LC) is thermotropic if the order of its components is determined or changed by temperature.

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If temperature is too high, the rise in energy and therefore in motion of the components will induce a phase change: the LC will become an isotropic liquid. If, on the contrary, temperature is too low to support a thermotropic phase, the LC will become a crystal.

There is therefore a range of temperatures at which we observe thermotropic LCs; and most of these have several "subphases" (nematic, smectic...), which we may observe by modifying the temperature.

See also

• Thermochromism
• Liquid_crystals#Thermotropic_liquid_crystals