Nematic twist-bend phase with nanoscale modulation of molecular orientation

Borshch, V.; Kim, Y. -K.; Xiang, J.; Gao, M.; Jákli, A.; Panov, V. P.; Vij, J. K.; Imrie, C. T.; Tamba, M. G.; Mehl, G. H.; Lavrentovich, O. D.

Abstract

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).

Citation

Borshch, V., Kim, Y. .-K., Xiang, J., Gao, M., Jákli, A., Panov, V. P., Vij, J. K., Imrie, C. T., Tamba, M. G., Mehl, G. H., & Lavrentovich, O. D. (2013). Nematic twist-bend phase with nanoscale modulation of molecular orientation. Nature communications, 4, Article ARTN 2635. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms3635

• Acceptance Date: Sep 18, 2013
• Online Publication Date: Nov 5, 2013
• Publication Date: Nov 5, 2013
• Deposit Date: Nov 13, 2014
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 13, 2014
• Journal: Nature Communications
• Electronic ISSN: 2041-1723
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 4
• Article Number: ARTN 2635
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms3635
• Keywords: Liquid crystals
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/368937
• Publisher URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms3635
• Additional Information: Copy of article published in Nature Communications v.4, 2013 at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms3635
• Contract Date: Nov 13, 2014