title: Bent molecules with a 60° central core angle that form B7 and B2 phases.
abstract: Small-angle bent-core liquid-crystalline (LC) molecules based on a 1,2-bis(phenylethynyl)benzene central core have been synthesized that form banana smectic phases with a ferroelectric B7-antiferroelectric B2 phase sequence upon cooling. The formation of polar, switchable ferro-/antiferroelectric banana phases indicates that, despite the low core bend angle of approximately 60°, banana smectic phases are still formed with the bend direction parallel to the layer. This study offers significant evidence that shows bent-core molecules with a 60° bend angle can form the well-known B2 and B7 banana phases. Consequently, it may lead to the preparation of a wide variety of novel bent molecules with low bend angles that spontaneously form an LC phase with both polarization and chirality.
authors: Organic and Polymeric Materials, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 O-okayama, Tokyo 152-8552 (Japan).
authors: Eun-Woo
authors: EW
authors: Lee
authors: Koji
authors: K
authors: Takimoto
authors: Masatoshi
authors: M
authors: Tokita
authors: Junji
authors: J
authors: Watanabe
authors: Sungmin
authors: S
authors: Kang
keywords: X-ray diffraction; banana phases; bent-shaped molecules; ferro/antiferro-electricity; liquid crystals