Ferrielectric and antiferroelectric properties of a fluoro-substituted biphenyl ester

Abstract

The material (R)-1-methylheptyl 4-(4′-n-dodecyloxybiphenyl-4-ylcarbonyloxy)-3-fluorobenzoate has been prepared and its liquid-crystalline properties investigated. This material was selected for synthesis because it was expected to exhibit a ferroelectric smectic C* phase with a large value for its spontaneous polarization. Moreover, as the material carries a terminal peripheral chiral 1-methylheptyl moiety it was also expected to exhibit strong chirality-dependent properties. Thus, the material was also found to possess ferrielectric and antiferroelectric modifications in addition to the normal ferroelectric phase. In particular, the ferrielectric phase was found to exhibit unusual behaviour in the presence of applied electric fields.