Liquid and solid—most people are unaware that there can be states in between. Liquid crystals are representative of one such state. While the molecules in liquids swim around at random, neighboring molecules in liquid crystals are aligned as in regular crystal grids, but the material is still liquid. Liquid crystals are thus an example of an intermediate state that is neither really solid nor really liquid¬¬. They flow like a liquid, and yet their molecules are grouped in small, regularly ordered units. A particular application of liquid crystals is optical imaging technology as in the screens of televisions, smartphones, and calculators. All LCD—or liquid crystal display—devices use these molecules.
Click here for original story, Researchers synthesize new liquid crystals allowing directed transmission of electricity
Source: Phys.org