Liquid crystals are an industrially important class of compounds as they are used in a variety of displays (LCD) for watches, calculators, lap-top computers, and televisions. In 2004, the Samulski research group at the University of North Carolina provided experimental evidence that oxadiazole containing compounds, 1, show a new type of liquid crystal phase1 (biaxial nematic phase) that had first been proposed in 19702. This phase is of great interest because it may allow for liquid crystal displays that have faster switching times and consume less power. However, the liquid crystal compounds in question exhibit the biaxial nematic phase at impractically high temperatures (close to 200 oC). Our recent efforts have focused on the design and synthesis of oxadiazole derivatives which show the biaxial nematic phase at lower temperatures. Details of the synthetic work and the phase behavior will be discussed.
(a) L. A. Madsen, T. J. Dingemans, M. Nakata, and E. T. Samulski, Phys. Rev. Lett., 2004, 92, 14505. (b) B. R. Acharya, A. Primak, and S. Kumar, Phys. Rev. Lett., 2004, 92, 14506.
2. M. J. Freiser, Phys. Rev. Lett., 1970, 24, 1041.