Layer-dependent surface-induced tilt, hexatic, and positional orders in free-standing 7O.7 films
Journal
Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals Science and Technology Section A: Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals
Journal Volume
330
Pages
1487-1494
Date Issued
1999
Author(s)
Abstract
Electron diffraction in free-standing films of 4-n-heptyloxybenzylidene-4-n-heptylaniline of up to 25 molecular layers has revealed the coexistence, as a function of distance from the surface, of three distinct phases: an outermost smectic-I layer, several layers of a middle phase, and a smectic-A interior. The middle phase is a novel tilted liquid, with hexaticlike positional correlations but no long-range bond-orientational order, which transforms to the smectic-I at a lower temperature.
Type
journal article