How to Orient Collagen and Gelatin

Abstract

The arrangement of triple helical domains of gelatin molecules may have important physical consequences in photographic gelatins. We review work which indicates that lyotropic liquid crystallization is important in defining molecular orientation and packing in collagens and suggest that it would be worth looking for similar effects in gelatins under certain conditions. We present a preliminary observation which suggests that gelatin can actually behave as a liquid crystal. The possible role of lyotropic liquid crystallization in photographic manufacturing and the interaction of gelatin with other photographic components, such as silver halide, needs further investigation.