Liesegang pattern formation in κ-carrageenan gel

The rod shape gel with the liquid crystalline layers periodically frozen is firstly obtained The rod gel is prepared when the potassium ion is diffusing into the κ-carrageenan solution from the one end of the glass capillary that contains the κ-carrageenan solution. Both of the distance between two adjacent liquid crystalline layers (spacing, Δ x_n) and the thickness of liquid crystalline layers (width, w_n,) linearly depend on the distance from the diffusing end of the potassium ion. Furthermore, the spacing coefficient p and width coefficient a is inversely proportional to the concentration of potassium ion. These results are in good agreement with the Liesegang pattern.