Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals, Vol.518, 60-69, 2010
Dielectric Spectroscopy of a Dichiral Mesogen with a Unique Phase Sequence
Dielectric relaxation behavior of a dichiral mesogenic liquid crystal material, viz. (R,S)-FPPY, having anomalous phase sequence has been studied over a wide range of frequency. Measured dielectric spectra show a new relaxation process, in addition to the usual Goldstone mode, in the SmC* phase, which has been assigned to the relaxation process originating from the dichirality of the compound. The overlapping of two molecular modes has been observed in the dielectric spectrum of both isotropic and optically isotropic (IsoX) phases. The present detailed dielectric spectroscopic studies also establish an interesting ferroelectric-like ordering in the unknown SmX* phase.
Keywords:Chirality;dichiral compound;dielectric spectroscopy;liquid crystal;optically isotropic phase