The dynamics of addition polymerization-induced phase separation in a liquid crystal solvent is examined via confocal microscopy in systems where the final morphology consists of nematic liquid crystal domains suspended in a cross-linked polymer matrix. For low polymer concentrations, we observe unusually rapid hydrodynamics and coalescence during phase separation that determine the final composite morphology. This hypercoalescence can result from polymerization-induced changes of the solubility of the polymer matrix in the liquid crystal solvent. [S0031-9007(98)05859-1]

We study the formation and evolution of labyrinthine patterns for dipolar fluids inside a polymer medium under mechanical strain. A new general mechanism is proposed to describe the kinetics of the pattern formation that combines orientation ordering and subsequently breaking characteristics of dipolar fluids with branching characteristics of crack-propagation. This mechanism can lead to many of the patterns found in nature, including spots, stripes, labyrinthine, and starlike formations.