PA18 Dynamics of the Nematic Phase Formed by Banana-shaped Molecules

Abstract

We synthesised new series of non-symmetric banana-shaped materials almost which were found to form the B phase as usually expected for the bent shape molecules. Interestingly some of these materials exhibited a nematic. Its molecular shape sterically hinders both translational motion along the molecular axis and rotational motion, which are most relevant microscopic motion of the fluctuation of the rod-like molecules. Thus, the dynamics of the nematic phase in banana-shaped molecules could be much different from the conventional thermotropic nematic phases. These are strongly related to the basic mechanism of interactions in the B phases (B1 - B7).