| Abstract
| - The triblock poly(ethylene oxide)−poly(propylene oxide)−poly(ethylene oxide) copolymers, Pluronics(L64, P65, and P123), form liquid crystalline (LC) mesophases with transition metal nitrate salts (TMS),[M(H2O)n](NO3)2, in the presence and absence of free water in the media. In this assembly process, M−OH2plays an important role as observed in a TMS:CnEOm (CnEOm is oligo(ethylene oxide) nonionic surfactants)system. The structure of the LC mesophases and interactions of the metal ion−nitrate ion and metalion−Pluronic were investigated using microscopy (POM), diffraction (XRD), and spectroscopy (FTIR andmicro-Raman) techniques. The TMS:L64 system requires a shear force for mesophase ordering to be observedusing X-ray diffraction. However, TMS:P65 and TMS:P123 form well structured LC mesophases. Dependingon the salt/Pluronic mole ratio, hexagonal LC mesophases are observed in the TMS:P65 systems and cubicand tetragonal LC mesophases in the TMS:P123 systems. The LC mesophase in the water/salt/Pluronicsystem is sensitive to the concentration of free (H2O) and coordinated water (M−OH2) molecules anddemonstrates structural changes. As the free water is evaporated from the H2O:TMS:Pluronic LC mesophase(ternary mixture), the nitrate ion remains free in the media. However, complete evaporation of the freewater molecules enforces the coordination of the nitrate ion to the metal ion in all TMS:Pluronic systems.
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