Investigation of the Relationship Between the Molecular Structure and the Thermal Stabilization of the Smectic C Phase in Four Series of Calamitic Smectogens

Great efforts have been dedicated to specify structural parameters that make the smectic C (SmC) phase thermally stable. Some structural parameters have thus been empirically suggested. The simple change in the orientation of an ester in a rigid core can dramatically affect the thermal stability of the SmC phase. Such an effect cannot be foreseen. A systematic study of the relationships between orientation of the inside dipole, the alkyl side chain lengths, and the outboard dipole, on the stabilization of the SmC phase was undertaken. Binary phase diagrams were generated, and correlation with simulation results helped to consider these implications.