Optically isotropic liquid-crystal phase of bent-core molecules with polar nanostructure.
We found that the optically isotropic (I(M)) mesophase observed recently below the nematic phase of the bent-core liquid crystal 4-chlororesorcinol bis[4-(4-n-dodecyloxybenzoyloxy)benzoate] shows ferroelectric-type switching. Polarizing microscopic, electric current, dielectric, and dynamic light scattering studies lead us to propose that the I(M) phase is composed of interconnected orthoconic racemic smectic (Sm-Ca P(F)) nanodomains with random layer orientations. Near the nematic phase, where the polarization can be saturated by electric fields, the system responds in a fashion analogous to the granular structure of a magnetic spin glass--in particular, we observed that the relaxation back to the nonpoled structure follows a similar, inverse logarithmic rule.
Liao
G
G
Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA.
Stojadinovic
S
S
Pelzl
G
G
Weissflog
W
W
Sprunt
S
S
Jákli
A
A