Liquid Crystals Fundamentals

Shri Singh, David A. Dunmur9789810242503, 981-02-4250-6

Presents a systematic, self-contained and up to date overview of the structure and properties of liquid crystals. For graduates and researchers in the field of liquid crystals and display devices.

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Table of contents :
Contents……Page 10
Foreword……Page 6
Preface……Page 8
1.1 Introduction……Page 18
1.2 General Types of Liquid Crystals……Page 20
1.3 Classification Of Liquid Crystals : Symmetry and Structure……Page 21
1.4 Calamitic Thermotropic Liquid Crystals……Page 24
1.5 Mesophases of Disc-Like Molecules……Page 33
1.7 Mesogenic Materials……Page 34
1.8 Polymorphism in Liquid Crystals……Page 39
References……Page 40
2.1 Distribution Functions……Page 45
2.2 Order Parameters……Page 50
2.3 Measurement of Order Parameters……Page 60
References……Page 72
3
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF LIQUID CRYSTALS……Page 74
3.1 Scalar Physical Properties……Page 75
3.2 Anisotropic Physical Properties……Page 78
3.3 Elastic Constants……Page 95
3.4 Effects of Chemical Structure on the Physical Properties……Page 103
References……Page 106
4.1 Essential Features of Uniaxial Nematics……Page 109
4.2 Nematics of Different Symmetry……Page 110
4.3 Structure – Property Correlations……Page 111
4.4 Statistical Theories of the Nematic Order……Page 126
References……Page 182
5.1 Elastostatics in Nematics……Page 191
5.2 Dynamical Properties of Nematics……Page 222
References……Page 233
6.1 Symmetry and Characteristics of Smectic Phases……Page 238
6.2 Structure-Property Relations……Page 244
6.3 Smectic A Phase……Page 249
6.4 The Nematic to Smectic A (N SA) Transition……Page 261
6.5 Polymorphism in SA Phase……Page 281
6.6 Smectic C Phase……Page 288
6.7 Reentrant Phase Transitions (RPT) in Liquid Crystals……Page 295
6.8 Dynamical Properties of Smectics……Page 301
6.9 Computer Simulations of Phase Transitions in Liquid Crystals……Page 304
References……Page 316
7 LIQUID CRYSTALS OF DISC-LIKE MOLECULES……Page 329
7.2 The Columnar Phases……Page 331
7.3 Structure-Property Relationship……Page 333
7.4 Phase Transitions in Discotic Nematic and Columnar Phases……Page 336
7.5 Continuum Description of Columnar Phases……Page 344
References……Page 346
8.1 Introduction……Page 349
8.3 Types of Monomeric Units……Page 350
8.4 Main Chain Liquid Crystal Polymers (MCLCPs)……Page 351
8.5 Side Chain Liquid Crystal Polymers (SCLCPs)……Page 352
8.6 Phase Transitions and Phase Diagrams in LC Polymers……Page 354
8.7 Synthetic Routes and Structure-Property Relations……Page 365
8.8 Elastic Constants of Polymer Liquid Crystals……Page 376
References……Page 379
9 CHIRAL LIQUID CRYSTALS……Page 387
9.1. Chiral Nematic (Cholesteric) Phase……Page 388
9.2 Blue Phases……Page 405
9.3 Chiral Smectic Phases……Page 421
9.4 Chiral Discotic Phases……Page 436
9.6 Theory of Ferroelectricity in Chiral Liquid Crystals……Page 437
9.7 Theory for the Antiferroelectric Subphases……Page 451
9.8 Twist Grain Boundary (TGB) Phases……Page 453
References……Page 458
10.1 Amphiphilic Mesogenic Materials……Page 470
10.2 Classification and Structure of Lyotropic Liquid Crystal Phases……Page 472
10.3 Occurrence of Mesophases in Amphiphile/Water Systems : Phase Diagrams……Page 475
10.4 Lyotropic Nematics……Page 477
10.6 Lyomesophases in Biological Systems……Page 479
10.7 Phase Chirality of Micellar Lyotropics……Page 482
References……Page 484
11 DEFECTS AND TEXTURES IN LIQUID CRYSTALS……Page 488
11.1 Classification of Defects in Liquid Crystals……Page 489
11.2 Defect Textures in Uniaxial Nematic Phase……Page 503
11.3 Defect Textures in Biaxial Nematic Phase……Page 512
11.4 Textures and Defects in Smectics……Page 513
11.5 Textures and Defects in Chiral Liquid Crystals……Page 520
11.6 Defects in the Columnar Liquid Crystals……Page 530
References……Page 531
Index……Page 536