Liquid Crystalline Phases Formed by Iodine Derivatives of Semifluorinated Alkanes

Abstract

The linear aliphatic compounds F(CF₂)₁₀CH₂CHI(CH₂)_n-2H (6 ≤ n ≤ 12) all form a stable smectic B phase. The existence of a very narrow smectic A phase between the smectic B and isotropic phases is also inferred. Results from transmitted polarized light microscopy, thermal analysis and x-ray diffraction show that the phase transitions are dominated by intermolecular interactions that involve the iodine atoms.

• semifluorinated alkane
• iodine
• smectic
• texture
• paramorphotic