Molecular dynamics of a binary mixture of twist-bend nematic liquid crystal dimers studied by dielectric spectroscopy

Dipole-dipole correlations in the nematic phases of symmetric cyanobiphenyl dimers and their binary mixtures with 5CB

We report on the temperature dependence of birefringence and of the static dielectric permittivity tensor in a series of binary mixtures between the symmetric, bent-shaped, 1'',9''-bis(4-cyanobiphenyl-4'-yl)nonane (CB9CB) dimer and the monomeric nematogen 5CB. In the studied composition range the mixtures exhibit two nematic phases with distinct birefringence and dielectric features. Birefringence measurements are used to estimate the temperature dependence of the tilt between the axis defining the nanoscale helical modulation of the low temperature nematic phase with the (local) direction of the maximal alignment of the cyanobiphenyl units. Planar as well as magnetically and/or electrically aligned samples are used to measure the perpendicular and parallel components of the dielectric permittivity in both nematic phases. A self-consistent molecular field theory that takes into account flexibility and symmetry of the constituent mesogens is introduced for the calculation of order parameters and intra-molecular orientational dipolar correlations of the flexible dimers as a function of temperature/concentration. Utilising the tilt angle, as calculated from the birefringence measurements, and the predictions of the molecular theory, dielectric permittivity is modelled in the framework of the anisotropic version of the Kirkwood-Fröhlich theory. Using the inter-molecular Kirkwood correlation factors as adjustable parameters, excellent agreement between theory and permittivity measurements across the whole temperature range and composition of the mixtures is obtained. The importance of the orientational, intra- and inter-molecular, dipolar correlations, their relative impact on the static dielectric properties, as well as their connection with the local structure of the nematic phases of bent-shaped bimesogens, is discussed.

Comparative dielectric and thermally stimulated-depolarization-current studies of the liquid crystal dimers 1″,9″-bis(4-cyanobiphenyl-4'-yl) nonane and heptane and a binary mixture between them, close to the glass transition

We have performed dielectric spectroscopy and thermally stimulated-depolarization-current experiments to study the molecular dynamics of the twist-bend nematic phase close to the glass transition of two members of the 1″,7'-bis(4-cyanobiphenyl-4'-yl)alkane homologous series (CBnCB): the liquid crystal (LC) dimers CB9CB and CB7CB, as well as a binary mixture of both. By doping CB9CB with a small quantity of CB7CB, the crystallization is inhibited when cooling the sample down, while the bulk properties of CB9CB are retained and we can investigate the supercooled behavior close to the glass transition. The study reveals that the inter- and intramolecular interactions of the mixture are similar to those of pure CB9CB and confirms that there is a single glass transition in symmetric LC dimers.

Elastic and viscous properties of the nematic dimer CB7CB

We present a comprehensive set of measurements of optical, dielectric, diamagnetic, elastic, and viscous properties in the nematic (N) phase formed by a liquid crystalline dimer. The studied dimer, 1,7-bis-4-(4'-cyanobiphenyl) heptane (CB7CB), is composed of two rigid rodlike cyanobiphenyl segments connected by a flexible aliphatic link with seven methyl groups. CB7CB and other nematic dimers are of interest due to their tendency to adopt bent configurations and to form two states possessing a modulated nematic director structure, namely, the twist-bend nematic, N_{TB}, and the oblique helicoidal cholesteric, Ch_{OH}, which occurs when the achiral dimer is doped with a chiral additive and exposed to an external electric or magnetic field. We characterize the material parameters as functions of temperature in the entire temperature range of the N phase, including the pretransitional regions near the N-N_{TB} and N-to-isotropic (I) transitions. The splay constant K_{11} is determined by two direct and independent techniques, namely, detection of the Frederiks transition and measurement of director fluctuation amplitudes by dynamic light scattering (DLS). The bend K_{33} and twist K_{22} constants are measured by DLS. K_{33}, being the smallest of the three constants, shows a strong nonmonotonous temperature dependence with a negative slope in both N-I and N-N_{TB} pretransitional regions. The measured ratio K_{11}/K_{22} is larger than 2 in the entire nematic temperature range. The orientational viscosities associated with splay, twist, and bend fluctuations in the N phase are comparable to those of nematics formed by rodlike molecules. All three show strong temperature dependence, increasing sharply near the N-N_{TB} transition.

Effect of Pressure on Dielectric and Frank Elastic Constants of a Material Exhibiting the Twist Bend Nematic Phase

We report the first investigation on the effect of applied pressure on the now well-known dimer α,ω bis(4,4'-cyanobiphenyl)heptane (CB7CB) that exhibits two types of nematic: the regular uniaxial nematic (N) and the recently discovered twist-bend nematic (N_TB) phase. At atmospheric pressure, the thermal behavior of ε_⊥, the permittivity normal to the director in the N phase decreases on entering the N_TB wherein the value represents permittivity orthogonal to the helical axis. Application of pressure initially decreases the magnitude of the change in ε_⊥ and with further increase in pressure exhibits an increase in the value. Such a change in the feature of ε_⊥ is similar to that obtained at room pressure when the monomeric heptyloxy cyanobiphenyl (7OCB) is doped to CB7CB at a high concentration of 50%. The dielectric anisotropy exhibits a trend reversal with temperature, the extent of which is affected at high pressures. Another salient feature of the study is the effect that pressure has on the Frank bend elastic constant K₃₃. Over the pressure range studied K₃₃ enhances by a large factor of 5. In contrast, the splay elastic constant exhibits a much smaller change of only 70%. The pressure-temperature phase boundary has a much smaller slope for the N-N_TB transformation than for the isotropic-N transition. We propose that all these features can be understood in terms of the relative population of the more energetic horseshoe and lower energy extended conformer adopted by the CB7CB molecule. The extended conformer is favored at lower temperatures or at higher pressures. This argument is validated by X-ray diffraction experiments at atmospheric pressure on the binary mixture of CB7CB and 7OCB, mentioned above.