Structure nematic phase

Another experimental characteristic of polar mesogens is the intrinsic incommensurability of their structures. Nematic phases of polar compounds often exhibit diffuse X-ray scattering corresponding to a short range smectic order. Two sets of diffuse spots centered around incommensurate wavevectors i and 2 withqiassociated with the classical monolayer order is clearly of order 2 ydl where I is the length of a molecule in its most extended configuration. The wavevector q associated with the head to tail association of the polar molecules reveals the existence of another natu-... 

Short-time Brownian motion was simulated and compared with experiments [108]. The structural evolution and dynamics [109] and the translational and bond-orientational order [110] were simulated with Brownian dynamics (BD) for dense binary colloidal mixtures. The short-time dynamics was investigated through the velocity autocorrelation function [111] and an algebraic decay of velocity fluctuation in a confined liquid was found [112]. Dissipative particle dynamics [113] is an attempt to bridge the gap between atomistic and mesoscopic simulation. Colloidal adsorption was simulated with BD [114]. The hydrodynamic forces, usually friction forces, are found to be able to enhance the self-diffusion of colloidal particles [115]. A novel MC approach to the dynamics of fluids was proposed in Ref. 116. Spinodal decomposition [117] in binary fluids was simulated. BD simulations for hard spherocylinders in the isotropic [118] and in the nematic phase [119] were done. A two-site Yukawa system [120] was studied with... 

The factors Kn are elastic constants for the nematic phase and Icb is the Boltzmann constant. Therefore a combination of molecular electronic structure, orientational order and continuum elasticity are all involved in determining the flexoelectric polarisation. Polarisation can also be produced in the presence of an average gradient in the density of quadrupoles. This is... 

Currently, theories are not yet able to predict the transition temperatures based on molecular structure of the constituent molecules. However, for several compounds there is considerable empirical data relating the transition temperature between isotropic and nematic phases (Tni) to molecular structure. Higher implies greater nematic stability. For example, it is... 

Berardi et al. [66] have also investigated the influence of central dipoles in discotic molecules. This system was studied using canonical Monte Carlo simulations at constant density over a range of temperatures for a system of 1000 molecules. Just as in discotic systems with no dipolar interaction, isotropic, nematic and columnar phases are observed, although at the low density studied the columnar phase has cavities within the structure. This effect was discovered in an earlier constant density investigation of the phase behaviour of discotic Gay-Berne molecules and is due to the signiflcant difference between the natural densities of the columnar and nematic phases... 

The structures of phases such as the chiral nematic, the blue phases and the twist grain boundary phases are known to result from the presence of chiral interactions between the constituent molecules [3]. It should be possible, therefore, to explore the properties of such phases with computer simulations by introducing chirality into the pair potential and this can be achieved in two quite different ways. In one a point chiral interaction is added to the Gay-Berne potential in essentially the same manner as electrostatic interactions have been included (see Sect. 7). In the other, quite different approach a chiral molecule is created by linking together two or more Gay-Berne particles as in the formation of biaxial molecules (see Sect. 10). Here we shall consider the phases formed by chiral Gay-Berne systems produced using both strategies. 

Here, ry is the separation between the molecules resolved along the helix axis and is the angle between an appropriate molecular axis in the two chiral molecules. For this system the C axis closest to the symmetry axes of the constituent Gay-Berne molecules is used. In the chiral nematic phase G2(r ) is periodic with a periodicity equal to half the pitch of the helix. For this system, like that with a point chiral centre, the pitch of the helix is approximately twice the dimensions of the simulation box. This clearly shows the influence of the periodic boundary conditions on the structure of the phase formed [74]. As we would expect simulations using the atropisomer with the opposite helicity simply reverses the sense of the helix. 

Stelzer et al. [109] have studied the case of a nematic phase in the vicinity of a smooth solid wall. A distance-dependent potential was applied to favour alignment along the surface normal near the interface that is, a homeotropic anchoring force was applied. The liquid crystal was modelled with the GB(3.0, 5.0, 2, 1) potential and the simulations were run at temperatures and densities corresponding to the nematic phase. Away from the walls the molecules behave just as in the bulk. However, as the wall is approached, oscillations appear in the density profile indicating that a layered structure is induced by the interface, as we can see from the snapshot in Fig. 19. These layers are... 

In 1978, Bryan [11] reported on crystal structure precursors of liquid crystalline phases and their implications for the molecular arrangement in the mesophase. In this work he presented classical nematogenic precursors, where the molecules in the crystalline state form imbricated packing, and non-classical ones with cross-sheet structures. The crystalline-nematic phase transition was called displacive. The displacive type of transition involves comparatively limited displacements of the molecules from the positions which they occupy with respect to their nearest neighbours in the crystal. In most cases, smectic precursors form layered structures. The crystalline-smectic phase transition was called reconstitutive because the molecular arrangement in the crystalline state must alter in a more pronounced fashion in order to achieve the mesophase arrangement [12]. 

The nematic phase of all the compounds CBn is characterized by a coherence length of about 1.4 times the elongated structure of the molecule. Based on this behaviour local associations in form of dimers with cyano-phenyl interactions were postulated. For the smectic A phase a partial bilayer arrangement of the molecules (SAd) is most likely. But there are also example for the smectic A phase with a monolayer (Sai) or a bilayer (Sa2) arrangement of the molecules as well as a commensurate structure A large number of X-ray measurements were carried out in the liquid crystalline state to clear up the structural richness and variability (see Chap. 2, this Vol. [52]). 

Zugenmaier and Heiske [60] presented the crystal and molecular structures of the homologous series of 4 -(hydroxy-l-n-alkoxy)-4-cyanobi-phenyls (CBO(CH2)nOH) n = 4, 5, 7-11). The chemical structure of the compounds is shown in Fig. 1. All compounds of the series exhibit a nematic phase. The crystal and molecular data of the investigated compounds CBO(CH2)nOH and some derivatives are presented in Table 3. 

The synthesis of the mesogenic trans-4-n-alkyl-(4 -cyanophenyl)-cyclohexanes (PCHn) was described by Eidenschink et al. [65] in 1977. Most of the compounds exhibit a nematic phase close to room temperature. The chemical structure of the mesogenic PCHn is shown in Fig. 6. During the past few years, the crystal structures of some mesogenic phenylcyclohexanes were published [66-70]. Selected crystallographic and molecular data of the investigated compounds PCHn are presented in Table 4. 

The crystal structure of the mesogenic 4-(3"-pentenyl)-4 -(ethoxy)-l,l -bicyclohexane (PEBCH) was determined by Nath et al. [78]. This compound exhibits a nematic phase. The molecules are packed parallel to each other in an imbricated mode. 

Structure of 4-cyano-4 -n-pentyl-p-terphenyl (T15) is shown in Fig. 12. This compound, first prepared by Gray et al. [82], exhibits a nematic phase with a wide temperature range. 

In this section we will report on the crystal structure analyses of mesogenic 2,5-diphenyl pyrimidines. The crystal structure of 5-phenyl-2-(4 -n-butoxy-phenyl)-pyrimidine (5-PBuPP) and 2-phenyl-5-(4 -n-pentoxyphenyl)-pyrimi-dine (2-PPePP) were determined by Winter et al. [83, 84]. Compound 5-PBuPP forms a monotropic nematic phase, whereas compound 2-PPePP exhibits a smectic A mesophase within a wide temperature range. The chemical structure of the mesogenic 2,5-diphenyl pyrimidines is shown in Fig. 13. 

Mandal et al. [89-91] investigated the crystal structures of three members of the homologous series of 5-(4 -n-alkylcyclohexyl)-2-(4"-cyanophenyl)-pyrimi-dines. The crystal structures of the ethyl (ECCPP), pentyl (PCCPP), and heptyl (HCCPP) compounds were determined. The chemical structure of the compounds is presented in Fig. 15. The two lower homologues possess only a nematic phase, while the heptyl compound has a smectic phase in addition to a nematic phase. 

The crystal structure of 4-butylphenyl-4 -butylbenzoyloxybenzoate was determined by Haase et al. [101]. The compound forms a nematic phase. The neighbouring phenyl rings of the molecule are twisted by 49 and 62°. The dipole moments of the carbonyloxy groups perpendicular to the long molecular axis are compensated to each other as much as possible. 

Hartung et al. [102] described the crystal structure of 4 -(/i-cyanoethyl)-phenyl-4- -pentoxybenzoate which exhibits a monotropic nematic phase. The crystal structure of the compound shows a parallel arrangement of the molecules. 

Perez et al. [128] investigated the crystal structure of 4-(4 -ethoxybezoy-loxy)-2-butoxy-4 -(4-butoxysalicylaldimine)azobenzene. This compound contains four rings in the main core and a lateral alkoxy branch on one of the inner rings. The lateral butoxy chain is nearly perpendicular to the long axis of the main core. This molecular conformation induces the molecules to make a very complex network in the solid. The crystal cohesion is due to van der Waals interactions. The change of the lateral chain conformation in the solid and nematic phases is discussed. 

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