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Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals, Vol.397, 595-605, 2003
Liquid crystals of disc-like molecules (Reprinted from Pramana, vol 9)
Thermotropic mesomorphism has been observed in pure compounds consisting of simple disc-like molecules, viz., benzene-hexa-n-alkanoates. Thermodynamic, optical and x-ray studies indicate that the mesophase is a highly ordered lamellar type of liquid crystal. Based on the x-ray data, a structure is proposed in which the discs are stacked one on top of the other in columns that constitute a hexagonal arrangement, but the spacing between the discs in each column is irregular. Thus the structure has translational periodicity in two dimensions and liquid-like disorder in the third.
Keywords:thermotropic liquid crystals;disc-like molecules;benzene-hexa-n-alka-noates;X-ray diffraction