Switching columnar discotics

Spontaneous polarisation can also be observed for chiral discotic metallomesogens forming columnar mesophases, when the chiral molecules are tilted with respect to the column axis. The tilt induces a dipole moment within the plane of the molecule. A net macroscopic polarisation can be obtained for rectangular columnar phases with Cz or P2i symmetry. Serrano and Sierra reported on ferroelectric switching in the columnar mesophase for chiral /3-diketonate complexes (Figure 2.52). ... 

More recently, chiral discotic materials that exhibit tilted columnar mesophases have attracted attention because of their potential for ferroelectric switching. A spontaneous polarisation is generated because of the restriction in rotation of the peripheral chiral chains. 

Discotic Ferroelectrics. Columnar meso-phases with chiral disk-shaped molecules whose normals are tilted with respect to the column axis also manifest ferroelectric switching [217]. In such phases the direction of the spontaneous polarization is perpendicular to both the column axis and to the normal to the molecular disks. The tilt of the disk forms a helix with its axis oriented along the columns. In an amphiphilic... 

This book does not intend to cover the whole field of thermotropic liquid crystalline (TLC) materials as it is extremely difficult to cover within a single book. Instead it presents a collection of Chapters written by experts on various exciting topics in the field. Properties of recently developed TLCs (such as banana-type, thiophene-based, and columnar TLCs), phase biaxiaUty, and novel polymeric TLCs are discussed In detail. Solid-state NMR studies to obtain atomistic-level structural and geometrical information of TLCs are presented. Synthesis of liquid crystalUne conjugated polymers, fast switching of nematic materials by an electric field, and photoconducting discotic systems are also presented. 

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