Confined liquid crystaline 5CB in 2D Thermodynamic Space – Preliminary Dielectric Relaxation Study

Abstract

Results of preliminary broadband dielectric spectroscopy studies in a wide range of temperatures and pressures range for a mixture of rod-like liquid crystalline 4-cyano-4-pentylalkylbiphenyl (5CB) and hydrophilic silica spheres (Aerosil 300) are shown. Pretransitional anomaly, observed previously in the bulk 5CB, has been found. Temperature dynamics of the mixture was investigated with via the DC conductivity a, coupled to the reorientational relaxation. The derivative based analysis of electric conductivity showed a clear non-Arrhenius dynamics and indicated the anomalous increase of the fragility strength coefficient on approaching the isotropic-nematic transition. Pressure investigations of the solidification from the nematic phase showed the increase of the transition temperature on pressuring but with unusual increasing of dT(NS)/dP coefficient.