Unusual temperature dependence of the splay elastic constant of a rodlike nematic liquid crystal doped with a highly kinked bent-core molecule.
We report an unusual temperature dependence of the elastic constants of a rodlike nematic liquid crystal (RLC) mixed with a highly kinked bent-core liquid crystal (BLC). On cooling through the nematic phase, the splay elastic constant (K(11)) of the RLC-BLC mixture increased below the nematic-isotropic phase transition temperature, but started to decrease midway through the nematic phase. The decrease of K(11) was more prominent with a greater concentration of BLC. On the other hand, the bend elastic constant (K(33)) of the RLC-BLC mixture monotonically increased through the nematic phase with decreasing temperature.
Advanced Electronics and Information Research Center, Division of Electronic Engineering, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 561-756, Korea.
Ji-Hoon
JH
Lee
Department of Electronics Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 609-735, Korea.
Tae-Hoon
TH
Yoon
Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Kumoh National Institute of Technology, Gyungbuk 730-701, Korea.
E-Joon
EJ
Choi