Exceptionally Wide Thermal Range Enantiotropic Existence of a Highly Complex Twist Grain Boundary Phase in a Pure, Single-Component Liquid Crystal Chiral Dimer

Abstract

Twist grain boundary (TGB) phases exhibiting highly frustrated and complex liquid crystal structures have aroused enormous interest because of their close resemblance to superconductors. The remarkable experimental demonstration of their occurrence by Goodby and co-workers paved the way for developing new research endeavors. However, of the several genuine concerns associated with these intriguing structures, their temperature range has been challenging. In this communication, we report the occurrence of the TGB phase with smectic C∗ blocks (TGBC*) over a vast, unprecedented thermal range of ∼170 °C in a newly synthesized chiral dimer derived from cholesterol. Detailed investigations covering synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of liquid crystallinity with the aid of optical, calorimetric, and X-ray diffraction are presented.