Eutectic behaviour of binary mixtures composed of two isomeric lactic acid derivatives

ABSTRACT

Mixing of structurally similar self-assembling materials is a powerful tool to tune their mesomorphic, orientational or dielectric properties. We present design and study of binary mixtures composed of two newly designed chiral lactic acid derivatives with a similar structure but different geometry of the molecular core. One compound possesses a monotropic ferroelectric SmC* phase while another shows a direct isotropic – crystalline phase transition. It has been shown that the binary mixtures possess the eutectic behaviour and the ferroelectric phase temperature range has been extended. Moreover, for certain mixtures induced liquid crystalline phases, namely the cholesteric or TGB_A phases, were detected.

KEYWORDS:

• Ferroelectric smectic phase
• binary mixture
• lactic acid derivative
• isomer
• phase diagram
• self-assembling behaviour

Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the following research projects: CSF 16-12150S, COST IC1208, MEYS LD14007, MEYS LH150305 and CSF 15-02843S.