From rods to knots using cyclohexane in smectic liquid crystals

Abstract

The effects of using cyclohexane as a bulky terminal group or as a linkage between multiple mesogens using 1,4-cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid and 1,3,5-cyclohexane tricarboxylic acid has been investigated. We demonstrate that the diversity of mesomorphism is reduced as the complexity of the molecule increases such that twist grain boundary phases, chiral nematic, ferroelectric and antiferroelectric behaviour are observed in the mono compounds but only ferroelectric behaviour is observed for the trimeric compounds. The electro-optical behaviour is discussed with a focus on the ferroelectric behaviour and the nature of the twist grain boundary phase.

Keywords:

• cyclohexane
• dimer
• ferroelectric
• trimer
• twist grain boundary

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank ERASMUS for funding AB and also EPSRC for financial support.