Molecular Properties of Pentyl-Cyano Mesogens Having Different Core Structures

The molecular properties of polarizability, polarizability anisotropy and dipole moment have been measured for a series of mesogenic molecules having a terminal cyano group and a terminal n-pentyl chain. Molecules investigated were of the form n-pentyl-X-cyano, where X was biphenyl, cyclohexyl-phenyl, phenyl-cyclohexyl, bicyclohexyl and bicyclo-octyl-phenyl. Measured polarizabilities were compared with bond additivity calculations for the molecules having different alkyl chain conformations. The relative nematic stabilities of the mesogens and their physical properties are discussed in terms of their measured molecular properties.