PB35 Electro-responsive nonpolar liquid crystalline molecules

Abstract

We synthesized nonpolar liquid crystalline molecules consisting of hydrogen and carbon atoms. The rod-like compounds exhibited nematic liquid crystal phases. Despite the lack of hetero-atoms or polar groups, our nematic compounds showed electro-responsiveness in their retardation. We investigated their phase transition behaviors and liquid crystallinities by using a polarized light microscope (POM), a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and one- and two-dimensional X-ray diffractometers (1D-XRD and 2D-XRD).