Simultaneous measurement of transient stress and flow birefringence in one-sided compression (biaxial extension) of a polymer melt

Summary Investigation of time dependent behaviour of a polystyrene melt is carried out with the aid of a new apparatus for biaxial extension. Use is made of the method of two impinging fluid streams guided by lubricated trumpet shaped metal walls. The flow birefringence is measured in the plane of symmetry and, at the same time, the force is measured which tends to separate the trumpets. The linear stress-optical relation turns out to be valid in this new flow geometry. An accurate value for the stress-optical coefficient can be determined from the relaxation experiments. The stress build-up as calculated from the optical measurements, is compared with the pertinent result of the theory of linear viscoelasticity. For the desired interconversion of dynamic moduli use is made of the approximation by Schwarzl and Struik. The steady state measurements are checked by the results of the non-linear model of Acierno et al.With 16 figures and 2 tables     

Efficient two-dimensional atom localization in a five-level conductive chiral atomic medium via birefringence beam absorption spectrum

We have theoretically investigated two-dimensional atom localization using the absorption spectra of birefringence beams of light in a single wavelength domain.The atom localization is controlled and modified through tunneling effect in a conductive chiral atomic medium with absorption spectra of birefringent beams.The significant localization peaks are investigated in the left and right circularly polarized beam.Single and double localized peaks are observed in different quadrants with minimum uncertainty and significant probability.The localized probability is modified by controlling birefringence and tunneling conditions.These results may be useful for the capability of optical microscopy and atom imaging.     

Alignment of liquid crystals induced by a photopolymerized self‐assembled film

An alignment film derived from a photopolymerized self‐assembled film may be used to orient nematic liquid crystals after irradiating the film with linearly polarized UV (LPUV). A photosensitive cationic amphiphile was first synthesized containing two double bonds and which could be polymerized by UV. A layer‐by‐layer self‐assembled multilayer film was next prepared in an aqueous solution of the cationic amphiphile and poly(sodium 4‐styrenesulphonate); the UV‐Vis spectra showed that each layer of the LBL multilayer film was uniform. When the film was irradiated by LPUV, the photosensitive double bonds underwent [2+2] cycloaddition along the vector direction of LPUV. The polarized UV‐Vis absorption spectra also provided evidence that the film was anisotropic, i.e. the photopolymerization was along a certain direction. The anisotropic film was used as an alignment layer for nematic liquid crystals, and observations under a polarizing microscope indicated that the alignment of the liquid crystals was good, as expected, and that the orientation direction of the liquid crystals was always perpendicular to the electric vector of the irradiating LPUV.     

Non‐symmetric bent‐core mesogens with one terminal vinyl group

Two series of non‐symmetric banana‐shaped compounds, both with one alkyl and one alkenyl terminal tail, have been synthesized and studied. Both series were compared with the corresponding series with two saturated terminal alkyl tails. All the compounds have a bent central 1,3‐phenylene bis(4‐benzoyloxy)benzoate core; their mesophases were characterized by polarizing optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X‐ray diffraction and switching current response experiments. In all four series one of the terminal tails is varied from OC₈H₁₇ to OC₁₆H₃₃. The other terminal tails are OC₁₁H₂₃, O(CH₂)₉CH?=?CH₂, OC₁₀H₂₁ and O(CH₂)₈CH?=?CH₂. The short‐tailed compounds show monotropic or enantiotropic B₁ phases and the long‐tailed compounds the B₂ phase. The introduction of one terminal vinyl group slightly lowers the transition temperatures. The introduction of a second terminal vinyl group further suppresses the liquid crystalline properties. All compounds with B₂ phases have layer spacings that suggest a tilt of ～45° of the bent molecules in the layers, and their switching behaviour is antiferroelectric.     

Ferroelectric liquid crystal composites based on the porous stretched polyethylene films

Electro-optically active polymer–liquid crystal composites based on ferroelectric liquid crystals and stretched porous polyethylene films were developed. The alignment of ferroelectric liquid crystals incorporated into the porous polyethylene films with average porous diameter of around 200 nm was observed and studied. It was shown experimentally that these samples containing ferroelectric liquid crystals are flexible electro-optical films exhibiting a saturation electric field near 2·10⁷ Vm^?1 and a response time of about 30 μs under the action of the saturation field. A simple theoretical model of ferroelectric liquid crystal molecules' complete reorientation in electric fields inside pores of the films has been proposed and confirmed experimentally.     

Novel high birefringence bistolane liquid crystals with lateral fluorosubstituent

Twelve compounds based on lateral fluorinated bistolane moieties with cyano or trifluoromethyl terminal groups were synthesised with Hagihara–Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction. The molecular structures of the compounds were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared, ¹H-nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry. The transition temperatures, optical textures and optical anisotropies were determined by differential scanning calorimetry, polarizing optical microscopy and ultraviolet microscopy. The effects of the terminal substituents and lateral fluorosubstituent group on their physical properties were investigated and discussed. The compounds with lateral double fluorosubstituent and cyano terminal group exhibited nematogenic texture, while other compounds showed smectic phase. All the compounds exhibited wide liquid crystal temperature ranges and high clearing points. Interestingly, the compounds have the high birefringence in the range of between 0.480 and 0.633.     

Synthesis,mesogenic and dielectric properties of fluorosubstituted isothiocyanatoterphenyls

The synthesis, mesomorphic and physical properties of 14 homologous series of laterally fluorinated 4?-alkyl-4-isothiocyanatoterphenyls were described. Influence of the number of fluorine atoms and their position in the terphenyl core on the phase transition temperatures, nematic range, dielectric and optic anisotropy as well as bulk viscosity were discussed. The compounds with the most optimal properties for formulation of nematic mixtures were selected, and mixture examples with low viscosity and medium or high birefringence were presented.     

Sulfur-linked cyanobiphenyl-based liquid crystal dimers and the twist-bend nematic phase

ABSTRACT

The synthesis and characterisation of two series of cyanobiphenyl-based liquid crystal dimers containing sulfur links between the spacer and mesogenic units, the 4?-[1,ω-alkanediylbis(thio)]bis-[1,1?-biphenyl]-4-carbonitriles (CBSnSCB), and 4?-({ω-[(4?-cyano[1,1?-biphenyl]-4-yl)oxy]alkyl}thio)[1,1?-biphenyl]-4-carbonitriles (CBSnOCB) are described. The odd members of both series show twist-bend nematic and nematic phases, whereas the even members exhibit only the nematic phase. An analogous cyanoterphenyl-based dimer, 3⁴-{6-[(4?-cyano[1,1?-biphenyl]-4-yl)thio]-hexyl}[1¹,2¹:2⁴,3¹-terphenyl]-1⁴-carbonitrile (CT6SCB), is also reported and shows enantiotropic N_TB and N phases. The transitional properties of these dimers are discussed in terms of molecular curvature, flexibility and biaxiality. The same molecular factors also influence the birefringence of nematic phases. Resonant X-ray scattering studies of the twist-bend nematic phase at both the carbon and sulfur absorption edges were performed, which allowed for the determination of critical behaviour of the helical pitch at the transition to the nematic phase, the behaviour was found to be independent of molecular structure. It was also observed that despite the different molecular bending angle and flexibility, in all compounds the helical pitch length far from the N-N_TB transition corresponds to 4 longitudinal molecular distances.     

Orientational and electro-optical properties of liquid crystal aligned with a directly spinnable carbon nanotube web

We investigated the orientational and electro-optical properties of a nematic liquid crystal (LC) aligned with a directly spinnable carbon nanotube (CNT) web functioning both as an electrode and as an alignment layer. The LC molecules were uniformly oriented along the drawing direction of the CNT web and the spatially averaged birefringence was comparable to a rubbed polyimide sample. The CNT web sample also showed smaller residual DC and hysteresis compared to the polyimide sample.     

Synthesis and properties of new materials with banana-shaped achiral cores and chiral end groups

New chiral bent-core mesogens, derivatives of 1,3-phenylene bis[4-(alkanyloxyphenyliminomethyl)benzoate], were synthesized with variation of a substituent (X=F, Cl); their antiferroelectric properties are described. The mesomorphic and switching properties were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, polarizing optical microscopy, triangular wave method, and X-ray diffractometry in the small and wide angle regions. The presence of chiral tails at the terminals of side wings in the bent-core molecules induced a decrease in transition temperature and formation of the switchable SmC* phase in the melt. In addition, the introduction of a lateral halogen substituent in the Schiff's base moiety prevented the regular stacking of the molecules, resulting in the formation of very complex optical textures. The smectic phase with F-substituted PBFDOB and Cl-substituted PBCDOB showed layer spacings of 39 and 38.5?Å, respectively, corresponding to the end-to-end distance of molecules with a bent conformation. Significantly, the smectic phases of PBFDOB and PBCDOB exhibited a period of 179.5 and 131?Å, respectively, compatible with a helical structure with periodicity about 4.6 and 3.4 times the layer spacings.