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On the structure of the Nx phase of symmetric dimers

2014/01/21 by Anke Hoffmann, Alexandros G. Vanakaras, Hoffmann, Anke +7
Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) #Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) #cond-mat.mtrl-sci #cond-mat.soft

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1401.5445

12 pages, 3 Figures, Supporting information included in the same pdf (updated in v2, 11 pages)

arxiv created 2014/07/07 · arxiv updated 2014/07/09

Abstract

NMR measurements on a selectively deuteriated liquid crystal dimer CB-C9-CB exhibiting two nematic phases show that the molecules in the lower temperature nematic phase, Nx, experience a chiral environment and are ordered about a unique direction. The results are contrasted with previous reports that proposed a twist-bend spatial variation of the director. A structural model is proposed wherein the molecules show organization into highly correlated assemblies of opposite chirality.

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