Phase Diagram Involving the Thermal Stability of TGB and Induced Smectic Phases in Binary Mixture of Thermotropic Liquid Crystals

ABSTRACT

We report the results of our studies on the optical and thermal properties of the mixture of terephthalidene-bis-4, n-alkylaniline and cholesteryl nonanoate, which exhibits very interesting liquid crystalline mesophases such as cholesteric, twisted grain boundary, smectic-A, smectic-C^*, smectic-C, smectic-I, and smectic-G, sequentially when the specimen is cooled from its isotropic phase. These phases have been characterized by using microscopic techniques. The temperature variations of optical anisotropy, electrical conductivity, ultrasonic velocity, and molar and adiabatic compressibility have also been discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Adiabatic compressibility
• molecular orientation
• TGB phase
• ultrasonic velocity

Acknowledgment

T.N.G. thanks the University Grants Commission, New Delhi, India for the financial assistance under the Minor Research Project Scheme (MRP(S)-0161/12-13/KAMY022/UGC-SWRO).