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Thermotropic Biaxial Nematic Liquid Crystals

L. A. Madsen, T. J. Dingemans, M. Nakata, and E. T. Samulski
Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 145505 – Published 9 April 2004
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Abstract

We have synthesized liquid crystal (LC) mesogens based on a nonlinear oxadiazole unit that exhibit nematic phases near 200°C. Polarized microscopy and conoscopy indicate that these LCs are biaxial nematics. Unambiguous and quantitative evidence for biaxiality is achieved using H2 NMR spectroscopy. “2D powder” spectra, obtained by rotating H2-labeled samples about an axis perpendicular to the magnetic field at 200Hz, yield phase biaxiality parameters of 0.1 when coupled with rigorous and proven simulations.

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  • Received 14 July 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.92.145505

©2004 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

L. A. Madsen, T. J. Dingemans*, M. Nakata, and E. T. Samulski

  • Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, USA

  • *Permanent address: Fundamentals of Advanced Materials Group, University of Delft, 2629 HS Delft, The Netherlands.
  • Permanent address: Department of Organic and Polymeric Materials, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan.

Comments & Replies

Comment on “Thermotropic Biaxial Nematic Liquid Crystals”

Yves Galerne
Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 219803 (2006)

See Also

Biaxial Nematic Phase in Bent-Core Thermotropic Mesogens

Bharat R. Acharya, Andrew Primak, and Satyendra Kumar
Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 145506 (2004)

Madsen et al. Reply:

L. A. Madsen, T. J. Dingemans, M. Nakata, and E. T. Samulski
Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 219804 (2006)

A New Direction for Liquid Crystals

Don Monroe
Phys. Rev. Focus 13, 16 (2004)

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Vol. 92, Iss. 14 — 9 April 2004

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