Successive phase transition in an antiferroelectric liquid crystal having three isolated phenyl rings in the core

Abstract

Phase sequence of a chiral smectic liquid crystal, MHPOPB, in which the biphenyl group is separated into two phenyl rings by introducing an ester bond in the core of the well known antiferroelectric liquid crystal, MHPOBC, was studied. Dielectric, electro-optic and circular dichroism experiments were made on the optically pure MHPOPB and the binary mixture with MHPOBC. It was concluded that the introduction of the ester bond into the core weakens the antiferroelectricity, and MHPOPB belongs to antiferroelectric liquid crystals not having fundamental phases, neither SmC*_A nor SmC*_β.

Key Words:

• Antiferroelectric liquid crystal
• three phenyl rings
• MHPOBC
• MHPOPB
• successive phase transition
• liquid crystal induced circular dichroism