Effect of flip-flop motion on dielectric spectra of highly ordered liquid crystals.

This paper presents studies of dielectric response of chosen Schiff bases, which have similar molecular structures with different isomerizations of an azomethine bridging group, alkyloxy chain length with n=5 or n=6 carbon atoms, and a bromine or chlorine halogen terminal atom. Significant differences in the values of the maximum of dielectric absorption related to flip-flop molecular jumps in hexagonal smectic-B(Cry) phases have been found despite small differences of molecular dipole moments in these substances. This phenomenon is discussed in relation to the possibilities of the creation of dimers and to steric factors favoring motions.

Phase Behavior and Dynamics of the Liquid Crystal 4'-butyl-4-(2-methylbutoxy)azoxybenzene (4ABO5*).

The results of dielectric relaxation spectroscopy and polarizing microscope observation of the 4'-butyl-4-(2-methylbutoxy)azoxybenzene (abbreviated as 4ABO5*) are presented. Numerical analysis of the dielectric spectra results points to complex dynamics of 4ABO5* molecules in isotropic, cholesteric, and crystalline phases. Two well-separated maxima on the imaginary part of dielectric permittivity and the third low frequency relaxation process, hidden in the conductivity region, were detected and described in cholesteric and crystalline phases. Temperature dependence of mean relaxation times characterizing flip-flop motions and rotation around long axes, observed in all phases, is of the Arrhenius type.

Role of surface interactions in the dynamics of chiral isopentylcyanobiphenyl mixed with Al2O3 powder as studied by dielectric spectroscopy: numerical analysis.

The results of dielectric measurements for a mixture of chiral liquid crystal 5*CB with Al(2)O(3) powder are given. A detailed analysis of the dielectric spectra enabled us to obtain information about the influence of the Al(2)O(3) grains on the dynamics of the liquid-crystal molecules. Numerical analysis of the results confirmed that the dielectric spectra obtained are complex. In the low-frequency range they are dominated by ionic conductivity while in the whole frequency range two maxima appear. One of them is related to rotations of the molecules around their short axes. In the isotropic phase the corresponding values of the relaxation times are very close to those for bulk 5*CB. Relaxation and conduction processes can be described by a Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann function. In the cholesteric phase, rotation of 5*CB molecules trapped in the pores of Al(2)O(3) occurs. Another relaxation process results from dynamics of 5*CB molecules anchoring to Al(2)O(3) grains. The temperature dependence of relaxation times related to this process is nonmonotonic.