Thermotropic reentrant isotropic symmetry and induced smectic antiferroelectricity in the ferroelectric nematic material RM734.

ABSTRACT: We report a transition from the ferroelectric nematic liquid crystal (N_F) phase to a lower-temperature, apolar fluid phase having reentrant isotropic symmetry (I_R), in the liquid crystal compound RM734 doped with small concentrations of the ionic liquids 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIM-PF₆) or 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (EMIM-TFSI). Even a trace amount of ionic liquid dopant facilitates the kinetic pathway for the transition from the N_F to the I_R, enabling simple cooling to produce this isotropic fluid phase rather than resulting in immediate crystallization. The I_R was also obtained in the absence of specific ionic liquid doping by appropriate temperature cycling in t

SUBMITTER: Chen X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12036992 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature