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

液晶核分子的研究是目前液晶基础科学发展的主要驱动力，揭示了许多奇异的新软物质结构主题和意想不到的行为，包括自发极性有序和手性的出现。该项目由固态与材料化学和凝聚态物理计划支持，将首先追求一个重要的新兴方向，探索铁电核心主题：正交铁电近晶，其中液晶分子垂直于层状相的层平面取向。这项工作的重点是设计，合成和表征新的非晶核smectics，与发展的长期目标是在这个高度有趣的自组装软物质系统的分子结构-超分子性能关系的理解。根据液晶领域的历史，在这项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这项工作的一个重要方面，一个强大的K-12和本科推广活动被整合到该计划中。在所有这些教育和推广活动中，一个关键的焦点是增加本科生、研究生和教师层面的多样性（性别和种族）。非物质文化遗产液晶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机的至关重要的、也许是最明显的组件的创造。液晶本身是有机分子的混合物，具有精心选择的特性组合，使现代平板屏幕的魔力成为可能。也许在这方面最基本的科学问题是分子结构和液晶相的性质之间的关系，液晶相必然由大量分子组成，并且自组装形成有用的材料。本项目旨在了解液晶系统的这些结构-性能关系，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的创新成为可能。根据该领域的历史，在本研究过程中发现的新液晶现象可能会导致这些新的应用，对经济和就业产生重大影响。本科生和研究生的教育和培训也是这项工作的一个重要方面，一个强大的K-12和本科推广活动被整合到该计划中。在所有这些教育和推广活动中，一个关键的重点是增加本科生，研究生和教师层面的多样性（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.