A study of the electro-optical response has been carried out over the whole temperature range of the antifeiroelectric B-2 phase of a compound with banana-shaped molecules, a homologue (n = 14) of the series 4-chloro-1,3-phenylene bis[4-(4-n-alkylphenylimino)benzoates]. The interlayer potential has been found from the threshold of the transition from the ground antiferroelectric (AF) state to the field-induced ferroelectric (F) state. The rotational viscosity gamma(phi) has been calculated from the dynamics of the field-induced azimuthal director switching between F-F and AF-F states and free relaxation of the director from F to AF state. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.