Segregation into domains observed in liquid crystal phases: comparison of experimental and theoretical data

The phase diagram of an amidic surfactant, sodium N-dodecanoylprolinate, was investigated by experimental means such as optical microscopy, multinuclear NMR, and SAXS experiments, and by dissipative particle dynamics and all-atoms molecular dynamics simulations. The organization in domains based on the stereochemical information of the surfactant (E and Z), as well as being observed previously under micellar aggregating conditions, was also observed in the liquid crystal phases. The combination of the different experimental techniques and of the theoretical investigation allowed us to clarify the nature of the domains and some of the involved interactions in their segregation and organization.