A Comparison of the Conformational Distributions of the Achiral Symmetric Liquid Crystal Dimer CB7CB in the Achiral Nematic and Chiral Twist-Bend Nematic Phases

The sets of residual dipolar couplings between carbon and hydrogen nuclei obtained from the proton-encoded C-13 2D NMR experiment are used to investigate the conformational changes which occur when the achiral symmetric liquid crystal dimer CB7CB changes from the achiral nematic to the chiral twist-bend nematic phase. It is found that these changes are a consequence of the chirality of the twist-bend nematic phase, rather than being the driving force for the stability of this phase.