Vitrification in low-molecular-weight mesogenic compounds

Abstract

Systematic investigations have allowed us to formulate a structural model representing the relationship between vitrification and mesogenity in low-molecular-weight liquid-crystalline compounds. The tendency to transform the highly viscous mesophases into glass phases is caused mainly by the bulkiness of the molecules. The freezing of such mesophases, oriented by external influences at high temperatures, can be used for information storage.