Optic, electrooptic and dielectric properties of novel antiferroelectric liquid crystal compounds

The optic, electrooptic and dielectric spectroscopy characterisation of novel four-ring thiophene-based chiral eaters comprising suitably 5,5'-disubstituted 2,2'-bithiophene (antiferroelectrics) is reported. The two compounds exhibit interesting hysterises in their phase sequences, and we show that even whole phases (e.g. their relatively wide ferri-phases) may be suppressed by the surface interactions in thin cells.