Remarkable Influence of Fluorination in Smectic and Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals

Abstract Liquid crystals possess a wide variety of interesting and useful properties which are strongly correlated to their structure. In order to modify and enhance certain useful properties we have examined the effects of systematic introduction of fluorine. Especially interesting examples are the influences on the phase range and type including ferroelectric properties and on miscibility leading to phase separation via spinodal decomposition of the anisotropic LC phase.