3B15 Synthesis and Mesophase Properties of New Banana-shaped Liquid Crystal Materials

Abstract

The spontaneous symmetry breaking by the bent molecular tilt can explain the chirality of the tilted phase such as B phases. However what is the chirality origin in the non-tilted system? We believe that there is another factor in the chiral nature at the microscopic molecular level. That is the twisted conformation of the bent molecules. We synthesised new series of non-symmetric banana-shaped materials with branched chlorine atoms at the centre of wings for the purpose of enhancing the molecular chirality.