Electric field-induced cubic phase in 4'-n-docosyloxy-3'-nitrobiphenyl-4-carboxylic acid

Shoichi Kutsumizu; Makoto Yamada; Takanari Yamaguchi; Katsufumi Tanaka; Ryuichi Akiyama

doi:10.1021/ja029014q

Electric field-induced cubic phase in 4'-n-docosyloxy-3'-nitrobiphenyl-4-carboxylic acid

J Am Chem Soc. 2003 Mar 12;125(10):2858-9. doi: 10.1021/ja029014q.

Authors

Shoichi Kutsumizu¹, Makoto Yamada, Takanari Yamaguchi, Katsufumi Tanaka, Ryuichi Akiyama

Affiliation

¹ Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan. kutsu@cc.gifu-u.ac.jp

PMID: 12617636
DOI: 10.1021/ja029014q

Abstract

We examine the influence of an alternating-current electric field on the lamellar smectic C (SmC) phase of 4'-n-docosyloxy-3'-nitrobiphenyl-4-carboxylic acid, and the formation of a field-induced cubic (Cub) phase with optical isotropy was observed for the first time. The induction was realized down to a temperature 10 K below the zero-field SmC to Cub phase transition temperature (TSmC-Cub). The formation of the induced Cub phase gave rise to a gradual increase of the shear storage modulus, and the modulus recovered quickly in response to the removal of the field, which is of interest as future applications to the stress transferring device.