A Heat Capacity Study of Phase Transitions in the Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal (R⁻) Hexyloxybenzylidene p'-amino-2-chloropropyl cinnamate (HOBACPC)

Abstract

The heat capacity of the ferroelectric liquid crystal (R ⁻) hexyloxybenzylidene P-amino-2-chloropropyl cinnamate (HOBACPC) has been measured between 64 and 88°C. In this temperature range HOBACPC has three phase transitions. The smectic A-chiral smectic C transition is found to be mean-field like which is similar to other smectic A-smectic C transitions. The chiral smectic C-chiral smectic I transition has a large heat capacity anomaly. A large hysteresis between the heating and cooling experimental runs is found for the chiral smectic I-chiral smectic G transition.