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We investigate structure and dynamics of concentration fluctuations in the binary glass former methyl-tetrahydrofuran and oligomeric methyl metacrylate by photon correlation spectroscopy with partially coherent x-rays from a synchrotron source. Although the system is macroscopically well miscible and optically clear in the full temperature range, calorimetric and dielectric measurements reveal two distinct glass transition temperatures. The relaxation of long range concentration fluctuations turns out to be diffusive and exponential only well above the upper glass transition temperature. As the characteristic time tau(cf) for concentration fluctuations shows a much weaker temperature dependence than the alpha-relaxation both traces finally intersect upon lowering the temperature. Thus, close to T(g), the concentration fluctuations show pronounced features of out-of-equilibrium dynamics such as compressed relaxation functions and a crossover to a ballistic wave vector dependence of tau(cf), like previously observed in various soft matter systems. Moreover, the analysis of time-resolved correlation functions reveals that the relaxation of concentration fluctuations around T(g) involves pronounced dynamic heterogeneities.

A thermal activated sub-hertz frequency dielectric absorption process in both SmC* and SmA* phases along with characteristic Goldstone mode have been observed in both pure and silver nano particle doped liquid crystal mixtures. This process is well resolved, in particular, in the composites probably due to capturing of ions/charges inside the thiol group layer around the silver particles surface, thereby increasing the resistivity of the composites. The process is interpreted as space charge accumulation of ions/charges at the interface between liquid crystals and the cell polymer layer close to the electrodes. Improved switching characteristics and reduced spontaneous polarization have been detected.

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We present small angle scattering and dielectric spectroscopy results on the influence of an amphiphilic diblock copolymer on the structure and dynamics of a microemulsion. We use a water-in-oil (w/o) droplet microemulsion based on the anionic surfactant AOT (sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate), that forms spherical water droplets coated by a monolayer of AOT dispersed in the continuous oil matrix. The studied polymer consists of a hydrophobic poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) block and a hydrophilic hyperbranched polyglycerol with 74 glycerol units (NG 74 ). Combining small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) we find that the droplet structure is preserved upon addition of PPO-NG 74 while the interaction distance between droplets increases with increasing polymer content. From SANS we deduce that the NG 74 block is located inside the droplets while the PPO extends into the oil matrix. By measuring the dc-conductivity as a function of temperature we study the dynamic percolation of the microemulsion. While the static structure of the droplet phase remains unchanged, both percolation temperature and phase separation temperature increase linearly with increasing polymer concentration. We explain this finding by a stiffening of the AOT layer induced by the polymer. By means of dielectric spectroscopy we observe two relaxations. The slower one can be related to a polarization at the interface of the water core and the AOT shell (core relaxation) and the faster one is due to the ions in the AOT-shell (cluster relaxation). Polymer addition is found to have a significant influence only on the core relaxation. We apply the cluster relaxation model to estimate the cluster size evolution with increasing polymer concentration.