Dielectric Studies on Liquid Crystals under High Pressure: VI. Low Frequency Relaxation Process in the Nematic and Smectic A Phase of 4-n-Octyl-4'-Cyanobiphenyl (8 CB)

Abstract

Abstract Dielectric relaxation studies of 4-n-octyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl (8 CB) were performed in the pressure range 0.1 -120 MPa, the frequency range 1 kHz -13 MHz and the temperature range 295-331 K. The dielectric behaviour of 8C B in the nematic phase is similar to that of 5 CB, 6 CB and 7 CB. In particular, the activation enthalpy decreases with increasing pressure and the activation volume decreases with increasing temperature in the nematic phase. In the smectic A phase of 8 CB both these parameters are markedly lower and show opposite pressure and temperature dependencies. We tentatively interpret these effects as a result of breaking of the dipole-dipole correlations which manifests itself differently in these liquid crystalline phases.