### Archive

Archive for the ‘2009’ Category

## Symmetries and allignement of biaxial nematic liquid crystals.

May 9th, 2010 Comments off

P.K. Karahaliou, A.G. Vanakaras and D.J. Photinos, J. Chem. Phys., 131, 124516 (2009).

Abstract: The possible symmetries of the biaxial nematic phase are examined against the implications of the presently available experimental results. Contrary to the widespread notion that biaxial nematics have orthorhombic symmetry, our study shows that a monoclinic $$C_{2h}$$ symmetry is more likely to be the case for the recently observed phase biaxiality in thermotropic bent-core and calamitc tetrapode nematic systems. The methodology for differentiating between the possible symmetries of the biaxial nematic phase by NMR and by IR spectroscopy measurements is presented in detail. The manifestations of the different symmetries on the alignment of the biaxial phase are identified and their implications on the measurement and quantification of biaxiality as well as on the potential use of biaxial nematic liquid crystals in electro-optic applications are discussed. ©2009 American Institute of Physics

Categories: Tags:

## Biaxial Nematics: symmetries, order domains and field-induced phase transitions

May 9th, 2010 Comments off

S.D. Peroukidis, P.K. Karahaliou, A.G. Vanakaras and D.J. Photinos, Liq. Cryst., 36(6), 727-737 (2009).

Abstract: We studied the symmetry and spatial uniformity of the orientational order of the biaxial nematic phase in the light of recent experimental observations of phase biaxiality in thermotropic bent-core and calamitic-tetramer nematics. Evidence is presented supporting monoclinic symmetry, instead of the usually assumed orthorhombic symmetry. The use of deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance to differentiate between the possible symmetries is described. The spatial aspects of biaxial order are presented in the context of the cluster model, wherein macroscopic biaxiality can result from the field-induced alignment of biaxial and possibly polar domains. The implications of different symmetries on the alignment of biaxial nematics and on the measurements of biaxial order are discussed in conjunction with the microdomain structure of the biaxial phase.

Categories: Tags: