High birefringence isothiocyanato tolane liquid crystals

The phase transition temperatures, birefringence and visco-elastic coefficient of several high birefringence isothiocyanato tolane compounds were evaluated. The polarizability of these compounds was calculated by the Austin Model I (AMI) and Modified Neglect of Diatomic Overlap (MNDO) methods. Using these compounds, we have formulated a eutectic mixture exhibiting a wide nematic range and high figure of merit.