Relationship between the pitch and elastic constants of the transient planar state in cholesteric liquid crystals

We investigate experimentally the relationship between the pitch and the elastic constants of a transient planar state in cholesteric liquid crystals. The pitch of the transient planar state is measured by the optical reflection technique. The twist and bend elastic constants of cholesteric materials are determined from the measured values of the threshold voltages for the transitions between a focal-conic state and a homeotropic state. By comparing these values, we experimentally confirm the relationship for the pitch of a transient planar state; P_transient=(K₃₃/K₂₂)P₀, which has been suggested theoretically.     

Terahertz properties of fluorinated liquid crystals

In this article, optical properties of four fluoro-substituted 4-propyl-4′-[(4-ethylphenyl)ethynyl] biphenyls and liquid crystal mixture A are presented in the terahertz (THz) range. Birefringence, refractive indices and absorption coefficients for ordinary and extraordinary ray of liquid crystals are described in the range of 0.3 to 3.0 THz. It shows that the measured parameters are dependent on the number and placement of fluorine atoms in the molecules. Measurements have been performed using time-pulsed spectroscopy.     

Novel method for order parameter of ferroelectric liquid crystals by image analysis

A novel method for temperature dependence of order parameter calculations at different wavelengths through birefringence measurements for ferroelectric liquid crystals (S)-(-)-2-methylbutyl 4′-(4″-n-alkanoyloxy benzoyloxy) biphenyl-4-carboxylates (where n?=?16 and 18) has been proposed using image analysis and linear regression method of Kuczynski equation. Measurements are made for its liquid crystal phases (SmecticC*, SmecticA) to the isotropic phase of the sample. The birefringence values of the samples at different wavelengths are obtained from the textural analysis of liquid crystal as a function of temperature using MATLAB software.     

Synthesis and physical properties of laterally fluorinated liquid crystals containing 1,3,2-dioxaborinane and cyclohexyl units

Six series of laterally fluorinated liquid crystals containing 1,3,2-dioxaborinane and cyclohexyl units have been synthesized and characterized. Their mesomorphic properties were characterized by polarizing optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. All these compounds are thermotropic liquid crystalline materials. All three-ring compounds (series A, B and C) and most four-ring compounds (series D, E and F) exhibit only a nematic phase, while some four-ring compounds with long terminal alkyl chains show nematic, smectic A and even smectic B phases. In addition, four compounds containing a 1,3-dioxane unit were prepared, and their mesomorphic properties compared with their 1,3,2-dioxaborinane analogues. The dielectric anisotropies of selected target compounds were determined; some showed a negative anisotropy. The relationships between the properties and chemical structures of these new compounds are discussed.     

Synthesis and physical properties of laterally fluorinated liquid crystals containing 1,3,2-dioxaborinane and cyclohexyl units

Six series of laterally fluorinated liquid crystals containing 1,3,2-dioxaborinane and cyclohexyl units have been synthesized and characterized. Their mesomorphic properties were characterized by polarizing optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. All these compounds are thermotropic liquid crystalline materials. All three-ring compounds (series A, B and C) and most four-ring compounds (series D, E and F) exhibit only a nematic phase, while some four-ring compounds with long terminal alkyl chains show nematic, smectic A and even smectic B phases. In addition, four compounds containing a 1,3-dioxane unit were prepared, and their mesomorphic properties compared with their 1,3,2-dioxaborinane analogues. The dielectric anisotropies of selected target compounds were determined; some showed a negative anisotropy. The relationships between the properties and chemical structures of these new compounds are discussed.     

Synthesis of fluorinated naphthylphenylacetylenic and naphthylphenyldiacetylenic liquid crystals

Four series of fluorinated tolanes, naphthylphenylacetylenes and naphthylphenyldiacetylenes were prepared and characterized. Most of the fluorinated tolanes exhibit no mesomorphic behaviour. However, most of the fluorinated naphthylphenylacetylenes and naphthylphenyldiacetylenes form enantiotropic nematic phases. The dielectric anisotropy and birefringence of some selected compounds were measured by a guest-host method. All of those studied show relatively high dielectric anisotropy and birefringence.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel fluorinated bistolane-type liquid crystals

Three series of fluorinated bistolane-type liquid crystals have been synthesized. Their mesomorphic properties were studied by optical polarizing microscopy and DSC. These compounds exhibit only a broad nematic phase with high clearing points, wide phase transition temperatures and low melting points. The effects of lateral fluoro-substitution and the introduction of the tetrafluorophenylene moiety are discussed in detail.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel fluorinated bistolane-type liquid crystals

Three series of fluorinated bistolane-type liquid crystals have been synthesized. Their mesomorphic properties were studied by optical polarizing microscopy and DSC. These compounds exhibit only a broad nematic phase with high clearing points, wide phase transition temperatures and low melting points. The effects of lateral fluoro-substitution and the introduction of the tetrafluorophenylene moiety are discussed in detail.     

Synthesis and mesomorphic properties of chiral fluorinated liquid crystals

Some fluorinated chiral liquid crystals were synthesized and the compounds characterized by IR, ¹H NMR, ¹⁹F NMR and mass spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Their phase transition behaviour was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and polarizing optical microscopy. Nearly all of the compounds synthesized are liquid crystals with an enantiotropic cholesteric phase. Some of them exhibit a blue phase. Lateral tetrafluoro substitution decreases the clearing point and molecular polarity affects the formation of liquid crystalline phases.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel fluorinated diphenyldiacetylenic liquid crystals

Five series of asymmetric diphenyldiacetylenes containing a single fluorine, two fluorines or a trifluoromethyl group at one end and an alkyl, alkyloxy or alkenyloxy group on the other end, were prepared and characterized. Most of the 4-alkylphenyl-4'-fluorophenyldiacetylenes, 4-alkyloxyphenyl-4'-fluorophenyldiacetylenes and 4-alkenyloxyphenyl-4'-fluorophenyldiacetylenes obtained exhibit an enantiotropic nematic phase and no smectic phase. However, most of the 4-alkyl-3', 4'-difluorodiphenyldiacetylenes, 4-alkenyloxy-3',4'-difluorodiphenyldiacetylenes and 4-alkyl-4'-trifluoromethyldiphenyldiacetylenes show no mesomorphic behaviour. The effects of alkyl, alkyloxy, alkenyloxy, fluoro, 3,4-difluoro and trifluoromethyl end groups on the mesomorphic behaviour of the diphenyldiacetylenes prepared are discussed.     

Synthesis and mesomorphic properties of chiral fluorinated liquid crystals

Some fluorinated chiral liquid crystals were synthesized and the compounds characterized by IR, ¹H NMR, ¹⁹F NMR and mass spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Their phase transition behaviour was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and polarizing optical microscopy. Nearly all of the compounds synthesized are liquid crystals with an enantiotropic cholesteric phase. Some of them exhibit a blue phase. Lateral tetrafluoro substitution decreases the clearing point and molecular polarity affects the formation of liquid crystalline phases.     

新型含氟液晶类化合物的质谱研究

本文报道66个新型含氟液晶类化合物的电子轰击电离质谱(EIMS). 66个化合物分为三个类型, 即炔醚类, 炔酯类和炔类. 并利用MS/MS联用技术和高分辨质谱(HRMS)数据研究了三种不同类型化合物的裂解机理, 并总结其规律性, 结果将有助于未知的类似化合物的结构鉴定 .     

Highly fluorinated thermotropic liquid crystals: an update

Fluorine is used in liquid crystal materials in order to give them particular properties as compared to their hydrocarbon homologues. This leads to use of the new compounds as materials mainly in display devices such as Twisted Nematic Liquid Crystals Display (TNLCD) or for the development of Surface Stabilized Ferroelectric smectic C* display (SSFLCDs). In this paper, we describe recent studies and research effort concerning the liquid crystalline behavior of compounds incorporating a highly fluorinated part with more than one fluoromethylene units. We examine some of their mesophase properties and the impact of molecular shape on the resulting liquid crystal behavior.     

Molecular surface and order parameters in liquid crystals

The surface model for solute ordering in nematics, which is based on the decomposition of the orientational potential according to the contributions of surface elements, leads to a simple procedure for the calculation of both orientational properties and the cholesteric order induced by a chiral compound. However, a realistic representation of the molecular surface accessible to the solvent is required. The rolling sphere algorithm, applied to the ensemble of atomic van der Waals spheres of a molecule, provides a natural determination of such a surface, sinceit smoothes away the smallscaledetails. Thesurfaceordering model implemented with the rolling sphere smoothing of the surface is described and applied to several molecular systems. It is shown that the orientational order parameters are substantially independent of the rolling sphere radius identified with the average curvature of the solvent molecular surface. On the contrary, a sensible dependence on such a parameter emerges for the chirality order parameter, this behaviour pointing out the role of the shape of solvent molecules in the chirality recognition of solutes. A fair agreement is obtained in the comparison with experimental data.     

Polar and quadrupolar order in smectic liquid crystals

In several smectic phases the long molecules are tilted towards the layer planes. The molecules in the layers of smectic C phases have a preferred tilt direction with a C2 rotation axis perpendicular to the tilt plane. If the molecules have a brick-like shape, a configuration possessing the D2h symmetry is also possible. For molecules shaped like chevrons or bananas, the existence of a smectic phase with the symmetry Cv was recently reported. We consider different in-plane configurations of smectics using a geometrical approach based on the 'scaled particle theory'. Varying the geometrical parameters of hard rod particles, a phase diagram for several smectic configurations is predicted. Depending on the particle shape, phases with dipolar order (C2,Cv) and quadrupolar order (D2h) can be stable.     

Polar and quadrupolar order in smectic liquid crystals

In several smectic phases the long molecules are tilted towards the layer planes. The molecules in the layers of smectic C phases have a preferred tilt direction with a C2 rotation axis perpendicular to the tilt plane. If the molecules have a brick-like shape, a configuration possessing the D2h symmetry is also possible. For molecules shaped like chevrons or bananas, the existence of a smectic phase with the symmetry Cv was recently reported. We consider different in-plane configurations of smectics using a geometrical approach based on the 'scaled particle theory'. Varying the geometrical parameters of hard rod particles, a phase diagram for several smectic configurations is predicted. Depending on the particle shape, phases with dipolar order (C2,Cv) and quadrupolar order (D2h) can be stable.     

The first series of ferroelectric steroidal fluorinated liquid crystals

A series of cholesteryl p-perfluoroalkylphenyl carbonate (CPC) [C₂₇H₄₅OCO₂C₆H₄(CF₂)_nF, n=1,4,6,8] liquid crystals was synthesized and their phase transition behaviours were studied. The results show that the compounds containing a not too long perfluoroalkyl chain (n=6,8) have monotropic chiral smectic C phases.     

Laterally fluorinated liquid crystals containing the 2,2'-bithiophene moiety

The synthesis and systematic evaluation of the influence of lateral mono-, di- and tetra-fluorination of the terminal phenyl ring on mesomorphic properties in seven novel series of suitably fluoro-substituted 5-n-alkyl-5'-(4-n-decyloxyphenyl)-2,2'-bithienyls is reported. Compared with their non-fluorinated parent counterparts, lateral fluorination eliminates high order smectic phases and reduces thermal stability, to reveal compounds exhibiting a selection of nematic, smectic A and smectic C phase types. As the number of fluoro-substituents increases from one to two, mesophase thermal stability drops drastically; the disposition of the second fluoro-substituent is important. Across-axis disposition is more detrimental than along-axis. However, complete fluorination does not destroy mesophase formation. Indeed, tetrafluorophenyl compounds are more stable than certain 3,5- and 2,6-difluoro compunds. The extrapolated birefringence for members of a series of 5-n-alkyl-5'-(2,3-difluoro-4-n-decyloxyphenyl)-2,2'-bithienyls is approximately 0.21.     

The first series of ferroelectric steroidal fluorinated liquid crystals

A series of cholesteryl p-perfluoroalkylphenyl carbonate (CPC) [C₂₇H₄₅OCO₂C₆H₄(CF₂)_nF, n=1,4,6,8] liquid crystals was synthesized and their phase transition behaviours were studied. The results show that the compounds containing a not too long perfluoroalkyl chain (n=6,8) have monotropic chiral smectic C phases.     

Elastic constants of uniaxial nematic liquid crystals: A comparison between theory and experiment

Using the unified molecular theory developed in our earlier paper (1992, Phys. Rev. A, 45, 974) we study in detail the influence of molecular interactions on the fundamental elastic properties of uniaxial nematic liquid crystals composed of molecules of cylindrical symmetry. The expressions for the elastic moduli associated with 'splay', 'twist' and 'bend' modes of deformations are written in terms of order parameters characterizing the nature and amount of ordering in the phase and the structural parameters which involve the generalized spherical harmonic coefficients of the direct pair correlation function of an effective isotropic liquid. Numerical calculations are done for a model system, the molecules of which have prolate ellipsoid of revolution symmetry and interact via a pair potential having both repulsive and attractive parts. The repulsive interaction is represented by a repulsion between hard ellipsoids of revolution. The attractive potential is represented by the dispersion and electrostatic interactions. Results for the elastic constants are reported for a range of molecular length-width ratio, temperature, density and molecular parameters and are compared with the experimental values of p-azoxyanisole (PAA) and 4'-n-octyloxy-4-cyanobiphenyl (8OCB). It is found that the inclusion of electrostatic interactions reduces the values of the ratios K₂/K₁ and K₃/K₁. The absolute values of the elastic constants and their ratios are in good agreement with the experimental and computer simulation values. The temperature dependence of the elastic constants and their ratios is studied. It is observed that the twist elastic constant has a weak temperature dependence but a pronounced influence is observed on the bend moduli. We also observed a pronounced increase in the values of the twist and bend elastic constants on approaching the nematic-smectic A transition temperature.