Spontaneous Formation of Quasi-Bookshelf Layer Structure in New Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals Derived from a Naphthalene Ring

Abstract

A quasi-bookshelf layer structure has been obtained by a conventional rubbing method at room temperature in a FLC mixture composed of naphthalene-derived liquid crystals. This layer structure is spontaneously formed due to a unique temperature dependence of the interlayer spacing; X-ray diffraction indicates that the layer spacing decreases from 34 to 33.5 Å and then increases to 33.8 Å with decreasing temperature in SmC^*. Contrary to the unusual behavior of the layer spacing, the director tilt angle determined optically shows ordinary temperature dependence and attains a relatively large value, 17°, at room temperature.