Numéro
J. Phys. II France
Volume 3, Numéro 12, December 1993
Page(s) 1807 - 1817
DOI https://doi.org/10.1051/jp2:1993231
DOI: 10.1051/jp2:1993231
J. Phys. II France 3 (1993) 1807-1817

Sub-layer adequacy in smectic ordering : structural charcterization of new low molar mass liquid-crystalline siloxanes

Mohammed Ibn-Elhaj1, Harry J. Coles1, Daniel Guillon2 and Antoine Skoulios2

1  Liquid Crystal Group, Physics Department, The University, Manchester, M13 9PL, Great-Britain
2  Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg, 6 rue Boussingault, 67083 Strasbourg Cedex, France

(Received 13 July 1993, Received in final form 26 August 1993, accepted 1 September 1993)

Abstract
This paper deals with the structural characterization of a new series of smectogens the molecules of which contain three distinct parts, a cyanobiphenyl aromatic core, a central paraffin chain and a siloxane endgroup. Incompatible with one another, these parts tend to locate themselves in three seprate sub-layers superposed in a partially bilayered smectic A structure. Because the siloxane endgroups have an important lateral extension as compared with the other two molecular moieties, the head to head association of the cyano endgroups is smaller than usual and the smectic layering of the aromatic cores closer to a single layer arrangement. This behaviour illustrates the necessity for the sub-layers to adapt their internal structure so as to be adequate for superposition.

PACS
61.30

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