Diffusion studies in confined nematic liquid crystals by MAS PFG NMR

Pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR and magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR have been combined in order to measure the diffusion coefficients of liquid crystals in confined geometry. Combination of MAS NMR with PFG NMR has a higher spectroscopic resolution in comparison with conventional PFG NMR and improves the application of NMR diffusometry to liquid crystals. It is found that the confinement of the liquid crystal 5CB in porous glasses with mean pore diameters of 30 and 200 nm does not notably change its diffusion behavior in comparison with the bulk state.