Investigation of Chiral Smectic Phases and Conformationally Disordered Crystal Phases of the Liquid Crystalline 3F5FPhH6 Compound Partially Fluorinated at the Terminal Chain and Rigid Core

Complementary methods are applied to investigate the phase transitions and crystallization kinetics of the liquid crystalline compound denoted as 3FSFPhH6. Two crystal phases are confirmed, and one of them is the conformationally disordered (CONDIS) phase. Complexity of the melt crystallization process is revealed by the analysis with Friedman's isoconversional method. The melt crystallization of 3F5FPhH6 shows different mechanisms depending on temperature, which is explained by the relation between the thermodynamic driving force and the thermal energy of translational degrees of freedom. The studied compound crystallizes even during fast cooling (30 K/min), unlike similar compounds with different fluorosubstitutions of the benzene ring, which form the smectic glass for moderate cooling rates. The tendency to vitrification of the smectic phase decreases apparently with the decreasing stability width of the SmCA* phase and the increasing relaxation time of the collective relaxation process in this phase, at least for homologues differing from 3F5FPhH6 only by the type of fluorosubstitution.

Automated summary

The study investigates the phase transitions and crystallization kinetics of the liquid crystalline compound 3FSFPhH6 using complementary methods, revealing two crystal phases and the complexity of the melt crystallization process. The melt crystallization of 3F5FPhH6 shows different mechanisms depending on temperature, which is related to the conformationally disordered phase, thermodynamic driving force, and thermal energy.