PA46 Rod-like liquid crystals exhibiting a cybotactic nematic phase

Abstract

We prepared some rod-like compounds in which a 2,3-difluoro-1,4-diphenylbenzene unit and a hydroxyl unit are connected via a flexible methylene spacer. We investigated their physical properties using polarized optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The compounds showed a phase sequence of Iso-N-SmC. In the low temperature region of the N phase smectic-like layer ordering was observed by XRD. We discuss structural effects of the rod-like liquid crystals on appearance of the cybotactic nematic phase.