Abstract
New banana-shaped achiral compounds, 1,3-phenylene bis [4-{4-(alkenyloxy) phenyliminomethyl}benzoate]s were synthesized by varying the length of alkenyl group; their ferroelectric properties are described. The smectic mesophases, including a switchable chiral smectic C <TEX>$(Sm\;C^*)$</TEX> phase, were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, polarizing optical microscopy and triangular wave method. The presence of vinyl groups at the terminals of linear side wings in the banana-shaped achiral molecules containing Schiff's base mesogen induced a decrease in melting temperature and formation of the switchable <TEX>$(Sm\;C^*)$</TEX> phase in the melt. The smectic phases having the octenyloxy group such as <TEX>$(CH_2)_6CH=CH_2$</TEX> showed ferroelctric switching, and their values of spontaneous polarization on reversal of an applied electric field were 120 nC/cm² (X=H) and 225 nC/ cm² (X=F), respectively. We could obtain ferroelectric phases by controlling the number of carbon atom in alkenyloxy chain of a bent-core molecule.
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