Eutectic mixtures of ferroelectric liquid crystals

Journal Article · Thu Nov 30 00:00:00 EST 1989 · Journal of Physical Chemistry; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/j100361a020· OSTI ID:7070853

Goodby, J W ^[1]; Chin, E ^[2]; Patel, J S ^[3]

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1. The University, Hull (England)
2. AT and T Bell Labs., Murray Hill, NJ (USA)
3. Bellcore, Redbank, NJ (USA)

Ferroelectric liquid crystals show potential as the optically and electrically active media in a variety of applications. However, it is considered unlikely that a single individual compound will possess all of the desired properties required by device applications, and therefore it is to be expected that it will be necessary to mix compounds together in order to obtain a suitable blend. In this study we have examined how the pitch of the helix and the magnitude of the spontaneous polarization of the ferroelectric smectic C* phase vary as a function of concentration when two materials of opposite twist and with the same (or opposite) polarization directions are mixed together. In some cases the ferroelectric phase(s) was found to disappear in the central region of the phase diagram, only to be replaced by the nonferroelectric smectic B phase. This type of behavior was found to happen even when the two components were of the same generic family. Changes in phase type were detected optically and also from the switching behavior in individual mixtures. This second approach offers a new method of monitoring certain phase changes that occur in a phase diagram.

• OSTI ID: 7070853
• Journal Information: Journal of Physical Chemistry; (USA), Vol. 93:24; ISSN 0022-3654
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
LIQUID CRYSTALS
EUTECTICS
MIXTURES
BINARY MIXTURES
DATA ANALYSIS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FERROELECTRIC MATERIALS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MEASURING METHODS
OPTICAL ACTIVITY
CRYSTALS
DATA
DISPERSIONS
FLUIDS
INFORMATION
LIQUIDS
NUMERICAL DATA
400400* - Electrochemistry
360603 - Materials- Properties