Guest Effect on Nematic-Isotropic Phase Transition Temperature of Liquid Crystal 6CHBT

The polarized absorption spectra of seven dichroic azo dyes dissolved in the nematogenic liquid crystal host 6CHBT have been recorded as a function of temperature. On the basis of these spectra, the guest order parameter has been determined. Moreover, the influence of the dye addition on the behaviour of the guest-host mixture in the vicinity of the nematic- isotropic phase transition has been examined. The experimental results have been compared in some details with the calculations done on the basis of the mean field theory for binary mixtures.