A TILTED FERROELECTRIC SMECTIC PHASE EMERGING FROM MONOMER POLYMER MIXTURES/

Mixtures of a fluorescent liquid crystalline side chain polyacrylate a nd its corresponding ferroelectric monomer were studied by optical mic roscopy, DSC, X-ray and electro-optic techniques. For some of these mi xtures we surprisingly found the emergence of the ferroelectric se pha se? which is not exhibited by the single components. The crystalline p hase of the monomer is completely suppressed by polymer concentrations above 25 per cent. The 50 per cent polymer-containing mixture shows a clear eutectic effect for the tilted phases and allows electro-optic switching, close to room temperature, more than 40 K below the melting point of the monomer.