Spontaneous polarization in isophthalamide derivatives and the effect of the side-chain chirality on spontaneous polarization.

Abstract

Generally, because columnar liquid crystals have fluidity, even if polarized columns are generated, the adjacent columns tend to align anti-parallel, and only a few examples of spontaneous polarization are known. In this study, isophthalamide compounds possessing (S)-, (R)-, and rac- citronellyl groups as side chains were synthesized and their properties were evaluated. The compounds with homochiral side chains produced spontaneous polarization in the liquid crystalline phase. This is considered to be due to the molecules have the same chirality, leading to the growth of large domains with aligned polarization directions.