Translational self-diffusion in the synclinic to anticlinic phases of a ferroelectric liquid crystal

Abstract

In this work, the first direct measurement of inter and intra-layer molecular self-diffusion in the smectic phases of a chiral smectogen (S)-2-methylbutyl-[4′-(4″-heptyloxyphenyl)-benzoyl-4-oxy-(S)-2-((S)-2′)-benzoyl)-propionyl)]-propionate (ZLL7/*) by means of pulsed field gradient NMR is reported. Self-diffusion coefficients as low as 10⁻¹³ m² s⁻¹ have been measured by combining magic echo spin decoupling with a stimulated echo sequence. The transitions among synclinic–anticlinic smectic phases are associated with a change in the self-diffusion coefficients.