Interaction-assisted approaches for biaxial nematic and smectic A phases of rodlike molecules

Abstract

In order to realize biaxial nematic and smectic A phases, perfluoroarene-arene interactions were introduced in rodlike molecules. Their mesophases were characterized by polarizing optical microscopy (POM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and switching experiments. The 1D and 2D-XRD studies revealed their locally lateral orders in the mesophases. Further, the mesophase showed ferroelectric behaviors in the switching experiments.