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

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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.