Ringed spherulitic and undulated textures in the nematic phase of a mixture of trans-4-hexylcyclohexanecarboxilic and benzoic acids

Abstract

We present a polarizing optical microscopy study of a liquid-crystal mixture of trans-4-hexylcyclohexanecarboxilic (C6) and benzoic acids. Both materials have carboxylic groups that can form dimers through hydrogen bonding. The mixture is nematic at room temperature and has the clearing point at 88°C. The nematic phase shows ringed spherulites, sometimes looking like spiral structures, and undulated textures, which remain visible when heating the sample till 71°C. This is the temperature of a texture transition inside the nematic phase.

Keywords:

• liquid crystals
• phase transitions
• ringed spherulites
• spiral patterns