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Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
Published on: May 15, 2017
An Optically Isotropic Antiferroelectric Liquid Crystal (OI-AFLC) Display Mode Operating over a Wide Temperature
Leah Bergquist1, Cuiyu Zhang1, Roberta R Ribeiro de Almeida1,2
1Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program Liquid Crystal Institute Kent State University Kent OH 44242-0001 USA.
Abstract:
We report on the synthesis and characterization of bent-core liquid crystal (LC) compounds and the preparation of mixtures that provide an optically isotropic antiferroelectric (OI-AFLC) liquid crystal display mode over a very wide temperature interval and well below room temperature. From the collection of compounds synthesized during this study, we recognized that several ternary mixtures displayed a modulated SmCaPA phase down to below -40 °C and up to about 100 °C on both heating and cooling, as well as optical tilt angles in the transformed state of approximately 45° (optically isotropic state). The materials were fully characterized and their liquid crystal as well as electro-optical properties analyzed by polarized optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, synchrotron X-ray diffraction, dielectric spectroscopy, and electro-optical tests.
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