Abstract
Three new homologous bent-shaped mesogens with terminal octyloxy P8, decyloxy P10 and dodecyloxy P12 groups were synthesized. Calorimetric, X-ray and electro-optic investigations prove the existence of two mesophases of the SmCPA type for compound P10 but only one SmCPA phase for the homologues P8 and P12. The static dielectric permittivities of compound P12 and that of the low-temperature phase of substance P10 are in the order of 30 and agree with results on bent-core mesogens published before. Surprisingly, the dielectric permittivities of P8 and of the high-temperature phase of P10 are of about 1000. We explain this extremely high dielectric response with the soft reaction of ferroelectric units in the external electrical field.
Acknowledgements
The authors are indebted to the DFG (project Kr 1182/14 and the GRK 894 for financial support.