DIELECTRIC-RELAXATION IN COEXISTING NEMATIC AND SMECTIC-B PHASES

Mixtures of a polar solute 4-n-pentyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl in a non-polar nematic solvent exhibit two separated low frequency dielectric relaxat ions for concentrations of the solute between 2 mol% and 20 mol% over a limited temperature range. This behaviour is attributed to coexistin g nematic and smectic B phases, in which the polar solute probe has di fferent relaxation frequencies. The observed dielectric spectra can be accurately fitted to two Debye-like relaxations, and the strengths of the absorptions are proportional to the amounts of the coexisting pha ses. A microscopic determination of the phase diagram confirms the ass ignment of the coexisting phases, and it is concluded that there is a preference of the dipolar probe molecule for the smectic B phase, whic h is induced as a result of solute-solvent interactions.