Pressure studies of liquid crystalline transitions

Abstract

Some of the important results emerging from our recent pressure studies of liquid crystalline transitions are presented. In particular, the following topics are discussed: (i) The relation between Pm, the maximum pressure of smectic stability in reentrant mesogens, and the range of the nematic phase at atmospheric pressure vis-a-vis the molecular structure; (ii) Piezothermal studies in the vicinity of the A-N transition in 8 OCB; (iii) The influence of molecular ordering on the pressure behavior of the nematic-isotropic transition in reentrant nematic mixtures; and, (iv) The relation between the pressure behavior of the smectic A phase and the interdigitation of the molecules.