Thermotropic Liquid Crystals Recent Advances [Paperback]

This book covers developments in the field of thermotropic liquid crystals and their functional importance. It also presents advances related to different sub-areas pertinent to this interdisciplinary area of research. This text brings together research from synthetic scientists and spectroscopists and attempts to bridge the gaps between these areas. New physical techniques that are powerful in characterizing these materials are discussed.

Chapter 1: Mesophase Behaviour at the Borderline between Calamitic and Banana-shaped Mesogens, Gerhard Pelz &, Wolfgang Weissflog. Introduction Variants of polymorphism with SmCPA, conventional smectic (SmA, SmC) and nematic phases Polymorphism with polar biaxial SmA phases Direct transitions from the nematic to polar smectic or columnar phases Bent-core and calamitic mesogens  mixed with each other or covalently linked to each other Unusual properties of conventional smectic and nematic phases formed by bent-core mesogens Field-induced transitions from a non-polar phase to a polar phase Discussion Acknowledgement References Chapter 2: Physical Properties of banana liquid crystals, Antal J?kli, Chris Bailey & John Harden. Introduction Experimental Results Acknowledgements References Chapter 3: Atomistic-Resolution Structural Studies of Liquid Crystalline Materials Using Solid-State NMR Techniques: Solid-State NMR of Liquid Crystals, Akira Naito & Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy. Introduction SLF State-Correlated 2D NMR Spectroscopy SC-2D NMR Spectra of Liquid Crystalline Samples Summary and Scope References Chapter 4: Separated Local Field NMR Spectroscopy in Columnar Liquid Crystals, S. V. Dvinskikh. Introduction 13C-1H separated local field NMRspectroscopy Summary Acknowledgements References Chapter 5: Biaxial nematic phases in thermotropic liquid crystals, K. Severing and K. Saalwachter. Introduction A Long-discussed Candidate Phase BiaxialilS!