Synthesis and characterisation of an unsymmetrical, ether-linked, fluorinated bimesogen exhibiting a new polymorphism containing the NTB or ‘twist-bend’ phase

TY - JOUR

T1 - Synthesis and characterisation of an unsymmetrical, ether-linked, fluorinated bimesogen exhibiting a new polymorphism containing the NTB or ‘twist-bend’ phase

AU - Mandle, Richard

AU - Davis, Edward James

AU - Laboto, Sam

AU - Vol, Constantin

AU - Cowling, Stephen James

AU - Goodby, John William

PY - 2014/4/21

Y1 - 2014/4/21

N2 - In this article we report on the liquid crystal phases and properties of the bimesogen 4-((11-((4-fluoro-[1,1-biphenyl]-4-yl)oxy)undecyl)oxy)-2,3-difluoro-4-(4-propylcyclohexyl)-1,1-biphenyl. This material was shown to exhibit an Iso Liq–N–NTB–SmA phase sequence, thereby clearly indicating that the NTB phase possesses an ordering of the constituent molecules that is between that of a conventional nematic and the smectic A phase. This compound allows us to better understand the relationship between molecular structure and the NTB phase, and we conclude it is the gross topology that dictates the incidence of this fascinating phase and not molecular properties such as dipole moment and bend angle.

AB - In this article we report on the liquid crystal phases and properties of the bimesogen 4-((11-((4-fluoro-[1,1-biphenyl]-4-yl)oxy)undecyl)oxy)-2,3-difluoro-4-(4-propylcyclohexyl)-1,1-biphenyl. This material was shown to exhibit an Iso Liq–N–NTB–SmA phase sequence, thereby clearly indicating that the NTB phase possesses an ordering of the constituent molecules that is between that of a conventional nematic and the smectic A phase. This compound allows us to better understand the relationship between molecular structure and the NTB phase, and we conclude it is the gross topology that dictates the incidence of this fascinating phase and not molecular properties such as dipole moment and bend angle.

U2 - 10.1039/c4cp00172a

DO - 10.1039/c4cp00172a

M3 - Article

VL - 16

SP - 6907

EP - 6915

JO - Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics

JF - Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics

SN - 1463-9076

IS - 15

ER -