A Molecular Mean Field Model for a Rectangular to Hexagonal Phase Transitionin Discotic Liquid Crystals

Abstract

A mean field model for a rectangular columnar to hexagonal columnar phase transition, assuming thatthe molecules are biaxial in both the phases, is presented. The theory is developed for a face centeredrectangular lattice taking the molecular cores to be tilted in a particular direction with respect to thecolumn axis by the same angle at each lattice site. Phase diagrams for a homologous series for twovalues of biaxiality parameter are presented. With increasing temperature a phase sequence rectangular-hexagonal-nematic-isotropic is found for shorter members while for higher members of a homologousseries the nematic phase is absent in the calculated phase sequence.

Key Words:

• discotic phase
• biaxial mean field