Sun, DazhiSue, Hung-JueCheng, ZhengdongMartínez-Ratón, YuriVelasco, Enrique2010-02-232010-02-232009-10Physical Review E 80, 041704 (2009)1539-3755http://hdl.handle.net/10016/69776 pages, 6 figures.-- PACS nrs.: 61.30.Eb, 64.70.M−, 81.16.Dn, 82.70.Dd.-- ArXiv pre-print available at: http://arxiv.org/abs/0909.2625We report the nematic and smectic ordering in an aqueous suspension of monolayer α-Zirconium phosphate platelets possessing a high polydispersity in diameter but uniform thickness. We observe an isotropic-nematic transition as the platelet volume fraction increases, followed by the formation of a smectic, an elusive phase that has been rarely seen in discotic liquid crystals. The smectic phase is characterized by x-ray diffraction high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and optical microscopy. The phase equilibria in this highly polydisperse suspension are rationalized in terms of a theoretical approach based on density-functional theory.application/pdfeng© The American Physical Society[PACS] Experimental determinations of smectic, nematic, cholesteric, and other structures[PACS] Transitions in liquid crystals[PACS] Self-assembly[PACS] Colloidsresearch articleMatemáticas10.1103/PhysRevE.80.041704open access