Axially Polar-Ferroelectric Columnar Liquid Crystalline System That Maintains Polarization upon Switching to the Crystalline Phase: Implications for Maintaining Long-Term Polarization Information

Axially polar-ferroelectric columnar liquid crystals(AP-FCLCs)consist of nanosized axially polarized columnar molecular aggregatesarranged in parallel, in which their polar directions can be switchedby applying an electric field and maintained after removal of theelectric field. However, the problem remains that the induced polaritycan be disturbed by external stimuli because liquid crystals are fluid.To solve this problem, we planned to realize a smooth phase transitionsystem from an AP-FCLC phase to a crystal phase without disturbingthe induced polar structure. Thus, we designed a urea compound withtwo biphenyl groups and four 2-butyloctyl groups to achieve the system.As a result, we succeeded in realizing an AP-FCLC compound that transitionsfrom the FCLC phase to the crystal phase at room temperature whilemaintaining the polarization induced in the FCLC phase, which is expectedto enable long-term maintenance of polarization information.

Automated summary

Axially polar-ferroelectric columnar liquid crystals (AP-FCLCs) are composed of nanosized axially polarized columnar molecular aggregates that can switch their polar directions and maintain them after removing the electric field. We designed a urea compound with specific groups to achieve a smooth phase transition from AP-FCLC phase to crystal phase without disturbing the induced polar structure. The resulting AP-FCLC compound successfully transitions from the FCLC phase to the crystal phase at room temperature while maintaining the induced polarization, enabling long-term maintenance of polarization information.