Abstract
We have previously reported the first realization of an orthogonal ferroelectric bent-core SmAPF phase by directed design in mesogens with a single tricarbosilane-terminated alkoxy tail. Given the potentially useful electrooptic properties of this phase, including analog phase-only electrooptic index modulation with optical latching, we have been exploring its “structure space”, searching for novel SmAPF mesogens. Here, we report two classes of these—the first designed to optimize the dynamic range of the index modulation in parallel-aligned cells by lowering the bend angle of the rigid core, and the second expanding the structure space of the phase by replacing the tricarbosilane-terminated alkyl tail with a polyfluorinated polyethylene glycol oligomer.
Highlights
We describe work aimed at exploring the structure space of the SmAPF, both to improve fundamental understanding of aimed at exploring the structure space of the SmAPF, both to improve fundamental understanding of the chemical structural features leading to the phase, and with an eye to improving the electrooptic properties exhibited in this novel manifestation of electrostatic V-shaped switching
Tails as an alternative to the the to explore the efficacy of polyfluorinated polyethyleneglycol (PF-PEG) tails as an alternative to tricarbosilane-terminated alkoxy tail for suppression of out-of-layer fluctuations, thereby removing tricarbosilane-terminated alkoxy tail for suppression of out-of-layer fluctuations, thereby removing the normal for synclinicity, and allowing allowing the the desired desired anticlinic anticlinic layer layer structure structure in in the the SmAP
The normal preference preference for synclinicity, and phase. This approach is motivated by a considerable body of research on calamitic ferroelectric phase. This approach is motivated by a considerable body of research on calamitic ferroelectric liquid liquid crystals (FLCs)
Summary
Potential applications of the lamellar (smectic), tilted, polar liquid crystal phase (SmCP), the lamellar, orthogonal, polar phase SmAP, and the lamellar, orthogonal nonpolar phase (SmA) exhibited by bent-core liquid crystals (LCs) motivate continuing interest in their materials design and synthesis. Jákli et al have described a bistable “scattering” display mode of the SmCS PA phase requiring no polarizers [1,2], O’Callaghan et al reported fast analog electrooptic phase modulators with a SmCA PF mesogen [3], and Takezoe et al have reported an “ideal display mode” [4,5] obtained with certain bent-core SmA mesogens in what has become known as the SmAPR phase. W586 (Figure 1), obtained by directed design, was reported in 2011 [8,9], and a method for high-quality alignment of the SmAPF phase has recently been described [10]
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