Enhanced flexoelectric switching behaviour in the chiral nematic phase

In order to develop materials that exhibit enhanced flexoelectric switching in the chiral nematic phase we have identified mesogenic units that display inherently strong flexoelectric coupling capabilities. Here we examine the oxycyanobiphenyl (OCB) moiety: homologues from the nOCB series exhibit significant electro-optic switching effects when doped with a highly chiral additive. Here we have examined lower dielectric anisotropy materials, since they allow the flexoelectric response to be extended to high field amplitudes. We show that dielectric coupling strength can be low in symmetric bimesogenic molecules. The flexoelectric response of such a molecular structure is tested by doping a homologue from the series CBOnOCB with a chiral additive: very significantly we find that the optic axis is rotated through 2φ=45° in <50 μs on reversing the polarity of the field (amplitude E=±6 V μm-1). Subsequently we have synthesized room temperature chiral nematic materials that exhibit 2φ≥90° at E≈10 V μm-1. © 2001 OPA (Overseas Publishers Association) N.V. Published by license under the Gordon and Breach Science Publishers imprint, a member of the Taylor & Francis Group.