A bent and asymmetrically hindered chiral alkyl chain in smectic-A phase of an antiferroelectric liquid crystal as observed by H-2-NMR

The structure and dynamics of the alkyl chains are investigated by H-2-NMR for specifically deuterated samples of an antiferroelectric chiral smectic liquid crystal MHPOBC. The H-2-NMR spectrum for the chiral alkyl chain exhi bits very small quadrupolar splittings, and the methylenes close to the chi ral center give double splittings ascribable to two different quadrupolar s plittings for each methylene unit. The unusual nature of the chiral chain i s revealed; the chain is bent from the molecular long axis, and is asymmetr ically hindered.