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Chiral resolution in bent-core nematic liquid crystals

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Published
<mark>Journal publication date</mark>24/11/2010
<mark>Journal</mark>Liquid Crystals Today
Issue number2
Volume19
Number of pages12
Pages (from-to)37-48
Publication StatusPublished
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

This paper presents the currently available experimental evidence for the occurrence of chiral resolution in bent-core nematic liquid crystals. The observation of chiral domains in these systems is discussed in context with other indications for the unique character of the nematic phase in bent-core materials, which challenge our understanding of nematic phase behaviour. Two possible mechanisms for the emergence of macroscopically chiral domains are exposed; the spontaneous resolution of chiral bent-core conformers and the occurrence of helical twist bend deformations due to a unique propensity for spontaneous bending of the nematic director in bent-core materials. The latter proposition is put into context with the recently developed cluster model, as overall it appears more appropriate to consider bent-core nematic systems as self-assembling-self-organising fluids with a hierarchical domain structure.