A Modulated Helical Nanofilament Phase

摘要

The modern study of the liquid crystal (LC) phases formed by bent-core molecules has led to many interesting and unexpected phenomena, including the first example of spontaneous reflection symmetry breaking and conglomerate formation in a bulk fluid phase. Indeed, exploration of the unique behavior of bent-core materials is currently one of the most productive frontier research areas in soft matter science. Perhaps the most complex of the known bent-core phases, the helical nanofilament (HNF) phase (also known as the B4 banana phase) has been under serious investigation since 1997,and continues to be a focus of interest in the bent-core materials constellation. Here, we report full characterization of the first example of a new phase in this family, HNF_((mod)), composed of simple alkoxybiphenylcarboxylate units and lacking the Schiff base groups found in previously known HNF mesogens.