Influence of pressure on the B₂I phase transition of a banana-shaped liquid crystal

Abstract

Employing a phenomenological mean field theory, we analyse the effect of high pressure on the B₂I phase transition properties of a bent-core liquid crystal. The basic idea of the work is to explain the phase transition behaviour of system by assuming that certain Landau coefficients associated with the order parameters coupling terms of the free-energy density expansion are pressure dependent. We observe excellent agreement between the theoretical and experimental results of mesogen PHDBB and that the B₂I transition remains first order even at the elevated pressures.

Keywords:

• bent-core liquid crystal
• phase transition
• free energy density
• elevated pressure

Funding

The financial support received from the UGC, New Delhi and DST, New Delhi, is thankfully acknowledged.