²H NMR spectroscopy of liquid crystals: structure and orientational order of a chiral smectogen in its A, C* and J* phases

Abstract

²H NMR spectroscopy is employed to investigate the orientational order, molecular structure and phase transitions of the chiral smectic liquid crystal 1-methylheptyl 4'-(4-n-decyloxybenzoyloxy)biphenyl-4-carboxylate (10B1M7), showing smectic A, C* and J phases, as well as several sub-smectic C* phases. Two optically pure, differently deuteriated isotopomers have been purposely synthesized and studied.