Twisted smectic a phase in some chiral molecules with oligooxyethylene chains

Abstract

Abstract Some optically active liquid-crystalline compounds have been prepared which exhibit unusual properties at their transitions to liquid state. An intermediary twisted phase situated between a cholesteric phase and a smectic A* phase was reported in this article, as found in a family of chiral molecules with oligooxyethylene chains. The intermediary A phase would apparently have a structure where a helical ordering of the molecules has occurred in the plane of the molecular layer. Besides, a novel spiral phenomenon was found in smectic A structure.