文摘
A series of symmetrical chiral ferroelectric liquid crystal dimers viz., alkyl bis{(R)-2-[4-(4′-decyloxyphenyl)benzoyloxyphenoxy]propionates}, ABDBP-n (n = 6–10), containing lactate units were synthesized and characterized. The length of the methylene spacer was increased from 6 to 10 in between the two chiral carbons located at the inner side of dimer. All the synthesized dimers exhibited polymorphism by showing N*, SmA*, SmC* and SmX* (unidentified) mesophase sequence. The mesophases and their corresponding transition temperatures were identified by polarized microscopy and differential scanning calorimetric measurements. Electro-optic switching studies of these dimers in SmC* phase has exhibited ferroelectric bistable switching characteristics with the maximum spontaneous polarization of about 60.74 nC cm−2. The tilt angles of the SmC* phase was also measured to confirm the tilted phase characteristics.