Ferroelectric liquid crystals with axially chiral 2,2′-spirobiindan-1,1′-dione cores |
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Authors: | Qian Cui |
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Institution: | Chemistry Department, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada |
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Abstract: | The axially chiral mesogens 5-alkoxy-5′-(4-alkoxybenzoyl)oxy]-2,2′-spirobiindan-1,1′-dione (QL7-n) were synthesised as racemic mixtures and resolved as single enantiomers by preparative chiral phase HPLC. The shorter homologues (R)-QL7-8 and QL7-9 form enantiotropic N* and SmC* phases, whereas the longer homologues (R)-QL7-10 and QL7-12 form an enantiotropic SmC* phase only. Texture analysis showed that the helical pitch of the N* phase is below the wavelength range of visible light; a helical pitch of 187 nm was measured at T – TNI = –5 K by selective reflection using enantiomerically enriched mixtures of (R)- and (S)-QL7-8 (0.35 ≤ ee ≤ 0.80). Spontaneous polarisations were measured as a function of temperature in the SmC* phase by the triangular wave method. PS values at saturation range from 102 nC cm–2 for (R)-QL7-8 to 120 nC cm?2 for (R)-QL7-9, which are up to three times greater than the highest polarisation previously reported for an axially chiral SmC* mesogen. Optical tilt angles θ were measured as a function of temperature and showed a sharp rise consistent with first-order N*–SmC* or I–SmC* transitions, with values at saturation ranging from 42 to 44°. |
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Keywords: | ferroelectric liquid crystal axial chirality spontaneous polarisation 2 2′-spirobiindan-1 1′-dione |
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