New Transition Metal Based Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals

本研究涉及具有铁电性质的非中心对称材料的形成。这些材料是基于一类新的液晶化合物，具有锥体过渡金属配合物为核心基团。通过电场的作用，这些材料的取向将被探索为具有宏观电极化的非中心对称固体的途径。如果电场去除后极化仍然存在，则材料为铁电体。由于极化对压力和温度敏感，铁电体具有压电和原电性质。提出了极化反转的机理，并进行了实验研究。此外，还提出了形成具有大场致变形的电响应聚合物的方法。最终目标是开发出响应磁场和压力的导体。

This research is concerned with the formation of noncentrosymmetric materials with ferroelectric properties. These materials are based on a new class of liquid crystalline compounds which have pyramidic transition metal complexes as core group. The orientation of these materials by the application of electric field will be explored as a route to noncentrosymmetric solids with a macroscopic electrical polarization. The materials are ferroelectrics if polarization persists after electric field is removed. Because polarization is sensitive to pressure and temperature, ferroelectrics possess piezoelectric and proelectric properties. Mechanism for polarization reversal, and experiments for their elucidation are proposed. Also, methods are proposed for the formation of electro- responsive polymers that exhibit large field-induced deformation. The ultimate aim is to develop field-and pressure-responsive conductors.