The biaxial smectic (SmAb) phase in nonsymmetric liquid crystal dimers comprising two rodlike anisometric segments: an unusual behavior

Abstract

The first nonsymmetric liquid crystal dimers, possessing salicylaldimine and cyanobiphenyl rodlike anisometric segments, exhibiting the biaxial smectic A (McMillan) phase unequivocally evidenced by microscopic, conoscopic, calorimetric and X-ray diffraction studies is reported.