New Phases and Phenomena in Orthogonal Bent-Core Liquid Crystals and Their Relationship to Molecular Structure

技术目前，对弯曲核心分子的研究是推动液晶基础科学发展的主要动力，揭示了许多奇异的新的软物质结构主题和意想不到的行为，包括自发的极性有序和手性的出现。该项目由固体、材料化学和凝聚态物理计划支持，将首先探索弯芯主题的一个重要的新兴新方向：正交铁电近晶，其中液晶分子在片层相中垂直于层平面取向。这项工作的重点是设计、合成和表征新的弯芯近晶，长期目标是了解这个非常有趣的自组装软物质系统中的分子结构-超分子性质关系。基于液晶领域的历史，在这一研究过程中发现新的软物质现象可能会导致新的应用，对经济和创造就业机会产生重大影响。本科生和研究生的教育和培训也是工作的一个重要方面，强有力的K-12和本科生外展活动被纳入该计划。在所有这些教育和外展活动中，一个关键的重点是增加本科生、研究生和教职员工层面的多样性(性别和种族)。液体晶体科学已经彻底改变了现代社会，推动了智能手机、其他便携式计算机和电视中至关重要且可能是最明显的组件的创造。液晶本身是有机分子的混合物，具有精心挑选的性能组合，使现代平板屏幕变得神奇。也许在这方面最基本的科学问题是分子结构和液晶相性质之间的关系，液晶相必然由大量分子组成，并自组装形成有用的材料。该项目旨在了解该领域前沿液晶系统中的这些结构-性质关系，从而创造新材料，使全息投影仪和互联网超快开关等先进设备能够进行创新。根据该领域的历史，在该研究过程中发现新的液晶现象可能会导致这些新的应用，对经济和创造就业机会产生重大影响。本科生和研究生的教育和培训也是工作的一个重要方面，强有力的K-12和本科生外展活动被纳入该计划。在所有这些教育和外展活动中，一个关键的重点是增加本科生、研究生和教职员工层面的多样性(性别和种族)。

TECHNICALThe study of bent-core molecules is currently a principal driving force in the advance of the basic science of liquid crystals, uncovering a host of exotic new soft matter structural themes and unexpected behavior, including the appearance of spontaneous polar ordering and chirality. This project, suppported by the Solid State and Materials Chemistry and Condensed Matter Physics Programs will first pursue an important emerging new direction for exploration of the bent-core theme: orthogonal ferroelectric smectics, in which the liquid crystal molecules are oriented perpendicular to the layer planes in lamellar phases. The work focuses on design, synthesis, and characterization of new bent-core smectics, with the long-term goal of developing an understanding of the molecular structure-supramolecular property relationships in this highly interesting self-assembling soft matter system. Based upon the history of the liquid crystal field, the discovery of new soft-matter phenomena in the course of this research could lead to new applications with significant impact on the economy and jobs creation. Education and training of undergraduates and graduate students is also an important aspect of the work, and a strong K-12 and undergraduate outreach activity is integrated into the program. In all of these education and outreach activities, a key focus is increasing diversity (gender and ethnic) at the undergraduate, graduate, and faculty levelsNON TECHNICALLiquid crystal science has revolutionized modern society, driving the creations of critically important, and perhaps the most visible, components of smart phones, other portable computers, and televisions. The liquid crystals themselves are mixtures of organic molecules with carefully selected combinations of properties, enabling the magic of modern flat panel screens. Perhaps the most fundamental scientific issue in this regard is the relationship between the structure of the molecules, and the properties of the liquid crystal phases, which are necessarily composed of large numbers of molecules, and which self assemble to form useful materials. This project seeks to understand these structure-property relationships in a liquid crystal system at the frontiers of the field, allowing the creation of new materials enabling innovation of advanced devices such as holographic projectors and ultrafast switches for the internet.Based upon the history of the field, the discovery of new liquid crystal phenomena in the course of this research could lead to such new applications, with significant impact on the economy and jobs creation. Education and training of undergraduates and graduate students is also an important aspect of the work, and a strong K-12 and undergraduate outreach activity is integrated into the program. In all of these education and outreach activities, a key focus is increasing diversity (gender and ethnic) at the undergraduate, graduate, and faculty levels.