Formation of a homochiral antiferroelectric ground state in asymmetric bent-shaped molecules

Abstract

New asymmetric bent-shaped molecules were synthesised and their mesomorphic properties and phase structures investigated by means of electro-optical measurements. All of the compounds formed fluid smectic phases and showed the homochiral antiferroelectric (SmC_AP_A) ground structure of the B2 phase. Comparing the new molecules with the previously reported classical symmetric bent-shaped molecules, we concluded that the modification of the chemical structure, especially the asymmetrical design of the bent-shaped molecules, is very significant for the interlayer interaction, influencing the formation of a specific polar order in banana phases.

Keywords:

• bent-shaped molecules
• chirality
• phase structure
• (anti)ferroelectricity

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Creative Scientific Research and a Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists B (21750138) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan.