Pre-Organization Effects on Chirality, Polarity and Biaxiality in Liquid Crystals: Novel Laterally Connected Mesogens showing Anomalous Properties

Abstract

Pre-organization effects are investigated for the laterally-connected liquid crystals possessing a biphenyl connecting group. The homeotropic texture of the N phase of a free-standing film sample was found to change into the other “Schlieren” texture on cooling even in the N phase, which then changes into the “Schlieren” texture of the SmC phase on further cooling. The possibility of the emergence of biaxiality in the N phase is discussed.