Dielectric and calorimetric studies on 1BC1EPOPB feroelectric liquid crystal having a large spontaneous polarization

Abstract

Experimental investigations on the ferroelectric liquid crystal, R-4′(1-butoxycarbonyl-1-ethoxy) phenyl 4-(4-octyloxy phenyl) benzoate (1BC1EPOPB) of large spontaneous polarization (P _S(+) = 240 nC cm⁻²), using dielectric and calorimetric techniques, are reported. The temperature range of 25.0–125.0°C has been chosen for dielectric measurements. Dielectric dispersion studies are carried out in the temperature range 45.0–75.0°C and in the frequency range 2 Hz to 2 MHz for the smectic A, smectic C* and smectic X phases. A new phase called ‘smectic X’ has been found around 56.3°C. The transition temperatures identified by the dielectric dispersion studies for different phases and those given by DSC techniques are in close agreement.

Keywords:

• Ferroelectrics
• Liquid crystal
• Dielectric spectroscopy

Acknowledgements

The authors GKJ, KS and MJ are grateful to Prof. S. Chandrashekar, Dr. S.K. Prasad and Dr. G.G. Nair of CLCR, Bangalore, for help in the measurements.