Twist bend nematic liquid crystals prepared by one-step condensation of 4-(4-Pentylcyclohexyl) benzoic acid and alkyl diol

ABSTRACT

Twist bend nematic (N_TB)-forming 9OCCHP5 and 11OCCHP5 dimers were synthesised by one-step condensation of 4-(4-pentylcyclohexyl) benzoic acid and alkyl diol with yields as high as 80%. Although each dimer formed the N_TB phase only during the cooling process in a narrow temperature width as large as 4°C, their equiweight mixture formed an N_TB phase during both the heating and cooling processes, displaying elliptical polygonal domains and rope-like optical texture. The N_TB temperature range became wider by 29–38°C and reduced the orientational order parameter significantly from 0.39 to 0.29 with decreasing temperature.

Graphical Abstract

KEYWORDS:

• Twist bend nematic phase
• liquid crystal dimers
• 4-cyclohexyl benzoic acid
• one-step condensation

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Strategic Promotion of Innovative Research and Development from the Japan Science and Technology Agency, JST.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

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Funding

This work was supported by the Strategic Promotion of Innovative R and D, Japan Science and Technology Agency, JST.