Ferroelectric phases in non-symmetric achiral bent liquid crystals towards ambient temperatures: a novel series with oxadiazol as central moiety

Abstract

Extensive survey carried out in bent liquid crystals (BLCs) exhibiting ferroelectric (FE) phases suggested for the design of non-symmetric (NS) frame. Novel series of BLCs (C8Cm) with distinct lateral moieties and heterocyclic central (oxadiazole) moiety, viz., octyl 4-(5-(4´-(alkyloxy) biphenyl-4-yl)-1,2,4-oxadiazol-3-yl)benzoates, are reported. NS BLC frame is realised by incorporating differing number of aromatic cores and varied length of end chains in the lateral moieties. Lateral moiety with biphenyl core is prepared by Suzuki coupling. Purity of the BLC product is confirmed by 1H NMR and elemental analysis. LC phases exhibited by C8Cm series of BLCs for m = 8, 10, 12, 15 and 16 are characterised by polarisation optical microscopy (POM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and spontaneous polarisation (PS) techniques. C8Cm series are found to exhibit SmA, CrystalB, B2, B5, SmG and SmE phase variance. SmG occurs as monotropic phase. Temperature variation of PS(T) studied in FE B2 and B5 phases by field reversal method infers a moderate PS value of ~80–100 nC · cm−2. Order parameter growth in FE B2 and B5 phases is analysed through PS(T). Normalised order parameter θN exhibits asymptotic behaviour with universal temperature TU. Influence of aromatic cores and length of end chains (in lateral moieties) on the thermal stability of FE phases is discussed in the wake of the data on other BLCs.