Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals with High Spontaneous Polarization

Abstract

The influence of chemical structure on spontaneous polarization, Ps, of a ferroelectric chiral smectic C meso¬phase is discussed. It is shown that the asymmetry, the presence of polar groups in the chiral centre, substitution, the presence of heterocycles in the central skeleton of the molecule and the hindrance of intramolecular rotations are the most important factors for the magnitude of the Ps. A survey of more than 60 compounds is presented including those with spontaneous polarization above 400 nC cm−2.