LAUSR

Abstract The main objective of the present work is to contribute to better understanding of the effect of the absolute configuration and phase sequences of dopants on the self-assembling and physicochemical properties as well as on the electro-optical parameters of a specific liquid crystalline mixture with a broad temperature range of the antiferroelectric phase. In order to establish this effect, the mesomorphic behaviour, helical pitch length and its handedness, spontaneous polarization and tilt angle, as well as electro-optical performance for all design mixture, are determined. The results show a broad temperature range of the antiferroelectric phase and very low melting points in all mixtures. Mixtures doped with (R) enantiomers exhibit longer helical pitch lengths, lower values of spontaneous polarization and rotational viscosity, comparable values of a tilt angle but also longer switch off times in comparison to similar mixtures doped with (S) enantiomers. The doping by the enantiomers exhibiting isotropic-ferroelectric-antiferroelectric phase sequence reveals the most significant impact on properties of the base mixture. The knowledge gained will very advantageous while designing new multicomponent liquid crystalline mixtures exhibiting the chiral tilted smectic mesophases for application in surface stabilized modes with passive and active matrix drive for utilization in photonics and optoelectronics.