Optical properties of dimeric liquid crystals doped with single-walled carbon nanotubes

Abstract

Well oriented distinct local single crystals were grown in smectic C liquid crystal (LC) (heptyloxybenzoic acid - 7OBA) using predefined orientation of the single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT). The SWCNT/SiOx/ITO/glass surface is found to cause a substantial enlargement of the smectic C distinct local single crystals and to reinforce both surface memory effect and surface anchoring. We synthesized and examined a set of nanocomposites, built of LC with hydrogen-bonded in dimers molecules (7OBA) and SWCNT. We found that the surface orientation strength and the interaction of the dimeric molecules with the carbon nanotubes play a decisive role for the type (symmetry), thermal stability and chirality of the LC states induced in the nanocomposites. As a result, a set of phase transitions and new phases (chiral smectic C, reentrant nematic, reentrant chiral nematic and a unique low-temperature chiral biaxial fluid smectic phase CG) not typical for pristine 7OBA were found.