Experimental Studies on a Terminally Non-Polar Reentrant Nematogenic Mixture

Abstract

We present here the results of our x-ray, high pressure and dielectric studies on a reentrant nematogenic mixture of n-dodecyl-4-(4-ethoxybenzylideneamino)-α-methylcinnamate and 4-n-heptyloxyphenyl-4-(4-ethylcyclohexanoyloxy)benzoate, neither of which possesses a strongly polar end group. The layer spacing measurements show that the smectic A phase is probably of the partially bilayer type. While the pressure-temperature diagram of this mixture is similar to that observed for strongly polar reentrant systems, the dielectric results show some significant differences.

Key Words:

• terminally non-polar systems
• reentrant nematogens