Nematic twist-bend phase with nanoscale modulation of molecular orientation

被引：563

作者：

Borshch, V. ^{[1
,2
]}

Kim, Y. -K. ^{[1
,2
]}

Xiang, J. ^{[1
,2
]}

Gao, M. ^{[1
,2
]}

Jakli, A. ^{[1
,2
]}

Panov, V. P. ^{[3
]}

Vij, J. K. ^{[3
]}

Imrie, C. T. ^{[4
]}

Tamba, M. G. ^{[5
]}

Mehl, G. H. ^{[5
]}

Lavrentovich, O. D. ^{[1
,2
]}

机构：

[1] Kent State Univ, Inst Liquid Crystal, Kent, OH 44242 USA

[2] Kent State Univ, Chem Phys Interdisciplinary Program, Kent, OH 44242 USA

[3] Univ Dublin, Trinity Coll, Dept Elect & Elect Engn, Dublin 2, Ireland

[4] Univ Aberdeen, Sch Nat & Comp Sci, Dept Chem, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, Scotland

[5] Univ Hull, Dept Chem, Kingston Upon Hull HU6 7RX, N Humberside, England

来源：

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS | 2013年 / 4卷

基金：

爱尔兰科学基金会; 美国国家科学基金会;

关键词：

LIQUID-CRYSTAL DIMERS; TRANSITION;

D O I：

10.1038/ncomms3635

中图分类号：

O [数理科学和化学]; P [天文学、地球科学]; Q [生物科学]; N [自然科学总论];

学科分类号：

07 ; 0710 ; 09 ;

摘要：

A state of matter in which molecules show a long-range orientational order and no positional order is called a nematic liquid crystal. The best known and most widely used (for example, in modern displays) is the uniaxial nematic, with the rod-like molecules aligned along a single axis, called the director. When the molecules are chiral, the director twists in space, drawing a right-angle helicoid and remaining perpendicular to the helix axis; the structure is called a chiral nematic. Here using transmission electron and optical microscopy, we experimentally demonstrate a new nematic order, formed by achiral molecules, in which the director follows an oblique helicoid, maintaining a constant oblique angle with the helix axis and experiencing twist and bend. The oblique helicoids have a nanoscale pitch. The new twist-bend nematic represents a structural link between the uniaxial nematic (no tilt) and a chiral nematic (helicoids with right-angle tilt).

引用

页数：8

共 35 条

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