Phase transition studies in polymesomorphic compounds(v): Density studies in N-(p-n-Octyloxy benzylidene)-p-n-butyl aniline

Abstract

The density, ρ, of N-(p-n-octyloxy benzylidene) p-n-butyl aniline (OBBA) is measured as a function of temperature from the isotropic liquid to the smectic-G phase. The compound is trimorphic, exhibiting three smectic phases, smectic-G, crystal smectic-B, and smectic-A phase. The changes in density across the phase transformations and the calculated thermal expansion coefficients confirm the order of the transitions as first order. Particular importance of the smectic-A to crystal smectic-B transformation, which is of first order, is apparent from the density jump across the transition.