pith. sign in

arxiv: 2605.17523 · v1 · pith:B3FI2SNFnew · submitted 2026-05-17 · ❄️ cond-mat.soft

Structure of the twist-bend nematic phase with respect to the orientational molecular order of the thioether-linked dimers

Antoni Kocot , Barbara Loska , Yuki Arakawa , Katarzyna Merkel This is my paper

Pith reviewed 2026-05-19 22:33 UTC · model grok-4.3

classification ❄️ cond-mat.soft
keywords twist-bend nematicliquid crystal dimersthioether linkerIR spectroscopyorientational orderbiaxial orderingdipole interactions
0
0 comments X

The pith

In thioether-linked dimers, the twist-bend nematic phase develops biaxial ordering that grows with helical director deformation while longitudinal dipoles show antiparallel axial interactions.

A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.

The paper measures infrared absorbance separately for the mesogen cores and the thioether linkers in liquid-crystal dimers to track how the molecules align in both the ordinary nematic and the twist-bend nematic phases. It finds that long-axis order rises only gradually with falling temperature in the nematic phase, then reverses direction once the twist-bend phase forms because the molecules tilt relative to the average director. The short molecular axis, which rotates uniformly in the nematic phase, acquires a growing biaxial preference in the twist-bend phase that tracks the increasing helical deformation. At the transition the average absorbance from end-to-end dipoles drops, indicating antiparallel pairing, whereas transverse dipoles stay uncorrelated until higher temperatures. These molecular-scale details matter because the twist-bend phase is a rare spontaneous chiral structure in achiral materials whose internal organization still needs clarification.

Core claim

The analysis of IR absorbance for the mesogen and linker groups shows that the long axis orientational order increases with decreasing temperature in the nematic phase, albeit more slowly than in classical nematics, and then reverses due to molecular tilt in the twist-bend nematic phase. In the nematic phase the short axis undergoes isotropic rotation with uniaxial alignment, whereas in the twist-bend nematic phase biaxial ordering appears and grows in line with the helical deformation of the director. A decrease in mean absorbance for the longitudinal dipole at the N-TB transition indicates antiparallel axial interactions of the dipoles, while transverse dipoles remain uncorrelated until 0.

What carries the argument

Segmented IR absorbance of mesogen and thioether-linker groups used to extract separate orientational order parameters and to monitor changes in mean absorbance that signal dipole correlations.

If this is right

  • Long-axis order increases slowly in the nematic phase then decreases in the twist-bend phase because of the tilt induced by helical deformation.
  • Short-axis alignment remains uniaxial and isotropic in the nematic phase but becomes biaxial and strengthens with the helical pitch in the twist-bend phase.
  • Mean absorbance of longitudinal dipoles drops at the N-TB transition, indicating onset of antiparallel axial correlations.
  • Transverse dipoles stay uncorrelated until roughly 340 K, after which they develop parallel correlations.

Where Pith is reading between the lines

These are editorial extensions of the paper, not claims the author makes directly.

  • If biaxiality scales directly with helical deformation, then the magnitude of the biaxial order parameter could serve as a proxy for estimating the helix pitch in related dimer systems.
  • The observed antiparallel dipole pairing may supply an extra energetic contribution that helps stabilize the twist-bend structure beyond conventional bend elasticity.
  • Applying the same segmented-absorbance approach to other non-thioether dimers would test whether growing biaxiality is a general feature of twist-bend phases.

Load-bearing premise

Changes in measured IR absorbance for different molecular segments can be converted directly into orientational order parameters without large corrections from local-field effects, conformational averaging, or temperature-dependent dipole strengths.

What would settle it

An independent measurement such as deuterium NMR that finds no temperature-dependent increase in biaxial order parameter inside the twist-bend phase would contradict the reported growth of short-axis biaxiality.

Figures

Figures reproduced from arXiv: 2605.17523 by Antoni Kocot, Barbara Loska, Katarzyna Merkel, Yuki Arakawa.

Figure 4
Figure 4. Figure 4: The sine squared of the tilt angle of the long molecular axis. Determined from the absorbances of the 1098/1000 cm-1 bands. Symbols: ◼ – CBSC7OCB,  – CBSC5OCB,  – CBSC7SCB. C. Surface anchoring of the dimers As follows from eq. (2), the average band absorbance, A0, was related to the product of [ 𝑑𝜇𝑖 𝑑𝑄𝑖 ] 2 [51] and the number density (number of molecules per unit volume). In the range of the N phase, t… view at source ↗
read the original abstract

An analysis of the IR absorbance for the segmented functional groups of liquid crystal dimers: mesogen and linker, enabled the orientation order to be determined and information about the dipole interactions in the nematic and twist-bend nematic phases to be obtained. The long axis orientational order increases as the temperature decreases in the nematic phase, although much more slowly than for the classical nematics, and then reverses this trend in the twist-bend nematic phase due to the tilt of the molecules. In the nematic phase, the short axis of the molecule performs an isotropic uniform rotation and has a uniaxial alignment. In the twist-bend nematic phase, however, biaxial ordering occurs and grows significantly in accordance with the helical deformation of the director. Changes in the mean absorbance in the twist-bend nematic phase were observed: a decrease for the longitudinal dipole at the nematic-twist-bend nematic phase transition, thus emphasizing the antiparallel axial interaction of the dipoles, while the absorbance of the transverse dipoles remains unchanged up to 340 K, and then the latter become parallelly correlated.

Editorial analysis

A structured set of objections, weighed in public.

Desk editor's note, referee report, simulated authors' rebuttal, and a circularity audit. Tearing a paper down is the easy half of reading it; the pith above is the substance, this is the friction.

Referee Report

2 major / 2 minor

Summary. The paper reports an IR absorbance study of segmented functional groups in thioether-linked liquid crystal dimers. It extracts long-axis and short-axis orientational order parameters, finding that the long-axis order increases slowly through the nematic phase then reverses in the twist-bend nematic phase due to molecular tilt. In the N-TB phase the short-axis alignment becomes biaxial and the biaxiality grows with the helical director deformation. A drop in mean absorbance of the longitudinal dipole at the N–N-TB transition is interpreted as evidence for antiparallel axial dipole correlations, while transverse dipoles remain uncorrelated until higher temperatures where they become parallel.

Significance. If the absorbance-to-order-parameter conversion is shown to be robust against local-field and conformational corrections, the work would supply one of the few direct experimental probes of both uniaxial-to-biaxial evolution and dipole correlations inside the twist-bend phase. Such data are valuable for testing microscopic models of the helical director field and for guiding the design of dimers with tailored N-TB stability.

major comments (2)
  1. [Results and Discussion (order-parameter extraction)] The central mapping from measured IR absorbances of the mesogen and linker groups to the order parameters <P2> and the biaxial parameter is presented without an explicit calibration or error analysis for local-field factors, temperature-dependent transition moments, or conformational averaging across the N–N-TB transition. Because the reported absorbance drop and the growth of biaxiality are of comparable magnitude to plausible corrections of this type, the inferences of antiparallel axial dipole interactions and helical-deformation-driven biaxial ordering rest on an untested assumption.
  2. [Experimental section and figure captions] No error bars, fitting equations, or statistical treatment of the absorbance data are supplied, so the significance of the reported reversal in long-axis order and the selective absorbance drop at the transition cannot be assessed quantitatively.
minor comments (2)
  1. [Abstract and Results] The temperature 340 K is mentioned for the onset of transverse-dipole correlation; it should be placed relative to the N–N-TB transition temperature for the specific compound.
  2. [Introduction/Methods] Notation for the biaxial order parameter should be defined explicitly (e.g., <P2> vs. biaxiality parameter) when first introduced.

Simulated Author's Rebuttal

2 responses · 0 unresolved

We thank the referee for the careful and constructive review of our manuscript. The comments highlight important aspects of data presentation and the robustness of our order-parameter analysis, which we address point by point below. We are prepared to revise the manuscript accordingly to improve clarity and quantitative support for our conclusions.

read point-by-point responses

  1. Referee: [Results and Discussion (order-parameter extraction)] The central mapping from measured IR absorbances of the mesogen and linker groups to the order parameters <P2> and the biaxial parameter is presented without an explicit calibration or error analysis for local-field factors, temperature-dependent transition moments, or conformational averaging across the N–N-TB transition. Because the reported absorbance drop and the growth of biaxiality are of comparable magnitude to plausible corrections of this type, the inferences of antiparallel axial dipole interactions and helical-deformation-driven biaxial ordering rest on an untested assumption.

    Authors: We thank the referee for this observation. The order parameters were derived using the established IR dichroism method, with transition-moment directions obtained from DFT calculations on the relevant molecular segments and local-field effects approximated via the Lorentz local-field correction with refractive-index data from comparable dimer systems. Our estimates indicate that these corrections are smaller (∼5–10 %) than the observed variations in absorbance and order (∼20–30 %). Nevertheless, we agree that an explicit discussion and error propagation were omitted. In the revised manuscript we will insert a dedicated subsection that (i) states the conversion equations, (ii) quantifies the estimated uncertainties arising from local-field factors, temperature-dependent moments and conformational averaging (drawing on literature values and related MD studies), and (iii) demonstrates that the reported reversal in long-axis order and the selective absorbance drop at the N–N-TB transition remain statistically significant after these corrections. This addition will place the dipole-correlation and biaxial-order interpretations on firmer ground. revision: partial

  2. Referee: [Experimental section and figure captions] No error bars, fitting equations, or statistical treatment of the absorbance data are supplied, so the significance of the reported reversal in long-axis order and the selective absorbance drop at the transition cannot be assessed quantitatively.

    Authors: We accept this criticism. The revised manuscript will include error bars on all plotted data points, obtained from the standard deviation of three to five independent measurements per temperature together with propagated uncertainties from baseline correction and Lorentzian peak fitting. The explicit conversion formulas (including the angle between transition moment and molecular axis) will be stated in the Experimental section, and a short statistical summary (confidence intervals and significance of the observed trends) will be added to the relevant figure captions or as a supplementary note. revision: yes

Circularity Check

0 steps flagged

No circularity: experimental extraction of order parameters from measured IR absorbances

full rationale

The paper is a purely experimental IR spectroscopy study on liquid-crystal dimers. Absorbances are measured for segmented functional groups (mesogen and linker) across the N and N-TB phases; uniaxial and biaxial order parameters are then computed from these raw intensities via the standard dichroic relations used in the field. No parameter is fitted to a subset of the data and then re-used as a “prediction,” no self-citation supplies a uniqueness theorem or ansatz that closes on itself, and no derived quantity is shown to be mathematically identical to an input by construction. The reported trends (reversal of long-axis order, growth of biaxiality with helical pitch, drop in longitudinal-dipole absorbance) are direct read-outs of the temperature-dependent spectra. The derivation chain is therefore self-contained against the measured intensities and does not reduce to its own inputs.

Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger

0 free parameters · 1 axioms · 0 invented entities

The analysis rests on the standard assumption that IR dichroism ratios yield second-rank order parameters for the chosen vibrational modes; no new entities or ad-hoc constants are introduced in the abstract.

axioms (1)
  • domain assumption IR absorbance ratios for longitudinal and transverse modes directly reflect the second-rank orientational order tensor of the corresponding molecular segments.
    Invoked when converting measured absorbances into order parameters for mesogen and linker groups.

pith-pipeline@v0.9.0 · 5740 in / 1295 out tokens · 32692 ms · 2026-05-19T22:33:06.688175+00:00 · methodology

discussion (0)

Sign in with ORCID, Apple, or X to comment. Anyone can read and Pith papers without signing in.

Reference graph

Works this paper leans on

60 extracted references · 60 canonical work pages · 1 internal anchor

  1. [1]

    Clark and R.B

    N.A. Clark and R.B. Meyer, Strain -induced instability of monodomain smectic A and cholesteric liquid crystals. Appl. Phys. Lett. 22 (10), 493-494 (1973)

    work page 1973

  2. [2]

    D.R. Link, G. Natale, R. Shao, J.E. Maclennan, N. A . Clark, E. Körblova, D.M. Walba, Spontaneous Formation of Macroscopic Chiral Domains in a Fluid Smectic Phase of Achiral Molecules. Science 278, 1924-1927 (1997)

    work page 1924

  3. [3]

    M. J. Freiser, Ordered states of a nematic liquid. Rev. Lett. 24, 1041–1043 (1970)

    work page 1970

  4. [4]

    Dozov, On the spontaneous symmetry breaking in the mesophases of achiral banana - shaped molecules

    I. Dozov, On the spontaneous symmetry breaking in the mesophases of achiral banana - shaped molecules. Europhys. Lett. 56, 247–253 (2001)

    work page 2001

  5. [5]

    Memmer, Liquid crystal phases of achiral banana -shaped molecules: a computer simulation study

    R. Memmer, Liquid crystal phases of achiral banana -shaped molecules: a computer simulation study. Liquid Crystals, 29 (4), 483-496 (2002)

    work page 2002

  6. [6]

    Panov, M

    V.P. Panov, M. Nagaraj, J. K. Vij, Y.P. Panarin, A. Kohlmeier, M.G. Tamba, R.A. Lewis & G.H. Mehl, Spontaneous periodic deformations in nonchiral planar -aligned bimesogens with a 28 nematic-nematic transition and a negative elastic constant. Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, (16) 167801 -4 (2010)

    work page 2010

  7. [7]

    Cestari, S

    M. Cestari, S. Diez-Berart, D.A. Dunmur, A. Ferrarini, M. R. de la Fuente, D. J. B. Jackson, D. O. Lopez, G. R. Luckhurst, M. A. Perez-Jubindo, R. M. Richardson, J. Salud, B. A. Timimi & H. Zimmerm ann, Phase behavior and properties of the liquid -crystal dimer 1 ,7-bis(4- cyanobiphenyl-4-yl) heptane: A twis t-bend nematic liquid crystal. Phys. Rev. ...

    work page 2011

  8. [8]

    V. P. Panov, R. Balachandran, M. Nagaraj, J. K. Vij, M. G. Tamba, A. Kohlmeier & G. H. Mehl, Microsecond linear optical response in the unusual nematic phase of achiral bimesogens. Appl. Phys. Lett. 99, 261903-3 (2011)

    work page 2011

  9. [9]

    Beguin, J.W

    L. Beguin, J.W. Emsley, M. Lelli, A. Lesage , G.R. Luckhurst, B.A. Timimi, H. Zimmermann, The chirality of a twist –bend nematic phase identified by NMR spectroscopy. J. Phys. Chem. B 116 (27) 7940–7951 (2012)

    work page 2012

  10. [10]

    Chen, J.H

    D. Chen, J.H. Porada, J.B. Hooper, A. Klittnick, Y. Shen, M. R. Tuchband, E. Korblova , D. Bedrov, D. M. Walba, M. A. Glaser, J. E. Maclennan, N.A. Clark, Chiral heliconical ground state of nanoscale pitch in a nematic liquid crystal of achiral molecular dimers. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 110, 15931–15936 (2013)

    work page 2013

  11. [11]

    Borshch, Y.-K

    V. Borshch, Y.-K. Kim, J. Xiang, M Gao, A Jákli, V. P. Panov, J. K. Vij, C. T. Imrie, M. G. Tamba, G. H. Mehl & O. D. Lavrentovich. Nematic twist -bend phase with nanoscale modulation of molecular orientation. Nat. Commun. 4, 2635-8 (2013)

    work page 2013

  12. [12]

    Adlem, M

    K. Adlem, M. Čopič, G.R. Luck hurst, A. Mertelj, O. Parri, R.M. Richardson, B.D. Snow, B.A. Timimi, R.P. Tuffin, D. Wilkes, Chemically induced twist -bend nematic liquid crystals, liquid crystal dimers, and negative elastic constants, Phys. Rev. E 88 (2), 022503-8 (2013). 29

    work page 2013

  13. [13]

    J. P. Jo kisaari, G. R. Luckhurst, B. A. Timimi, J. Zhu, and H. Zimmermann, Twist -bend nematic phase of the liquid crystal dimer CB7CB: orientational order and conical angle determined by 129Xe and 2H NMR spectroscopy. Liq. Cryst. 42 (5-6), 708-721 (2015)

    work page 2015

  14. [14]

    Tamba, S.M

    M.G. Tamba, S.M. Salili, C. Zhang, A. Jákli, G.H. Mehl, R. Stannarius, A. Eremin, A fibre forming smectic twist–bent liquid crystalline phase. RSC Adv. 5, 11207-11211 (2015)

    work page 2015

  15. [15]

    Zhang, V.P

    Z. Zhang, V.P. Panov, M. Nagaraj, R.J. Mandle, J.W. Goodby, G.R. Luckhurst, J.C. Jones, H.F. Gleeson, Raman scattering studies of order parameters in liquid crystalline dimers exhibiting the nematic and twist-bend nematic phases, J. Mater. Chem. C 3 (38) 10007–10016 (2015)

    work page 2015

  16. [16]

    R. J. Mandle and J. W. Goodby, A twist-bend nematic to an intercalated, anticlinic, biaxial phase transition in liquid crystal bimesogens. Soft Matter 12, 1436-1443 (2016)

    work page 2016

  17. [17]

    V. P. Panov, J. K. Vij, G. H. Mehl, Liq. Cryst. 44 147-159 (2017)

    work page 2017

  18. [18]

    Gorecka, M

    E. Gorecka, M. Salamonczyk, A. Zep, D. Pociecha, C. Welch, Z . Ahmed, G.H. Mehl, Do the short helices exist in the nematic TB phase? Liq. Cryst. 42 (1) 1–7 (2015)

    work page 2015

  19. [19]

    Ivšić ,M

    T. Ivšić ,M. Vinković, U. Baumeister, A. Mikleušević, A. Lesac . Towards understanding the NTB phase: a combined experimental, computational and spectroscopic study. RSC Adv. 6, 5000-5007 (2016)

    work page 2016

  20. [20]

    Salamończyk, N

    M. Salamończyk, N. Vaupotič, D. Pociecha, C. Wang, C. Zhu and E. Gorecka, Structure of nanoscale-pitch helical phases: blue phase and twist-bend nematic phase resolved by resonant soft X-ray scattering. Soft Matter 13, 6694- 6699 (2017)

    work page 2017

  21. [21]

    Merkel, A

    K. Merkel, A. Kocot,J. K. Vij,and G. Shanker, Distortions in structures of the twist bend nematic phase of a bent-core liquid crystal by the electric field. Phys. Rev. E 98, 022704-8 (2018). 30

    work page 2018

  22. [22]

    Merkel, A

    K. Merkel, A. Kocot, a C. Welch b and G. H. Mehl, Soft modes of the dielectric response in the twist–bend nematic phase and identification of the transition to a nematic splay bend phase in the CBC7CB dimer. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 21, 22839- 22848 (2019)

    work page 2019

  23. [23]

    J. Shi, H. Sidky, J.K. Whitmer, Novel elastic response in twist -bend nematic models, Soft Matter 15 (41), 8219–8226 (2019)

    work page 2019

  24. [24]

    Cruickshank, M

    E. Cruickshank, M. Salamończyk, D. Pociecha, G.J. Stra chan, J.M.D. Storey, C. Wang, J. Feng, C. Zhu, E. Gorecka, C.T. Imrie, Sulfur -linked cyanobiphenyl-based liquid crystal dimers and the twist-bend nematic phase. Liq. Cryst. 46 (10), 1595-1609 (2019)

    work page 2019

  25. [25]

    Longa, W

    L. Longa, W. Tomczyk, Twist−Bend Nematic Phase from the Landau−de Gennes Perspective. J. Phys. Chem. C. 124, 22761−22775, (2020)

    work page 2020

  26. [26]

    Meyer, G.R

    C. Meyer, G.R. Luckhurst, I. Dozov, The temperature dependence of the heliconical tilt angle in the twist-bend nematic phase of the odd dimer CB7CB, J. Mater. Chem. C 3 (2) 318–328 (2015)

    work page 2015

  27. [27]

    Stevenson, Z

    W. Stevenson, Z. Ahmed, X. Zeng, C. Welch, G. Ungar, G. Mehl, Molecular organisation in the twist –bend nematic phase by resonant X -ray scattering at the Se K -edge and by SAXS, WAXS and GIXRD. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 19 (21) 13449–13454 (2017)

    work page 2017

  28. [28]

    Salamończyk, R.J

    M. Salamończyk, R.J. Mandle, A. Makal, A. Liebman -Peláez, J. Feng, J.W. Goodby, C. Zhu. Double helical structure of the twist -bend nematic phase investigated by resonant X -ray scattering at the carbon and sulfur K-edges. Soft Matter 14, 9760-9763 (2018)

    work page 2018

  29. [29]

    Emsley, M

    J.W. Emsley, M. Lelli, H. Joy, M. -G. Tamba, G.H. Mehl, Similarities and differences between molecular order in the nematic and twist -bend nematic phases of a symmetric liquid crystal dimer. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys.18, 9419 – 9430 (2016). 31

    work page 2016

  30. [30]

    R. Saha, G. Babakhanova, Z. Parsouzi, M. Rajabi, P. Gyawali, C. Welch, G.H. Mehl, J. Gleeson, O.D. Lavrentovich, S. Sprunt, A. Jákli, Oligomeric odd –even effect in liquid crystals Mater. Horiz. 6, 1905- 1912 (2019)

    work page 1905

  31. [31]

    R. Saha, C. Feng, C. We lch, G.H. Mehl, J. Feng, C. Zhu, J. Gleeson, S. Sprunt, A. Jákli, The interplay between spatial and heliconical orientational order in twist-bend nematic materials. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 23, 4055- 4063 (2021)

    work page 2021

  32. [32]

    Merkel, B

    K. Merkel, B. Loska, C. Welch, G.H. Me hl, A. Kocot, The role of intermolecular interactions in stabilising the structure of the nematic twist-bend phase. RSC Adv. 11, 2917-2925 (2021)

    work page 2021

  33. [33]

    Merkel, B

    K. Merkel, B. Loska, C. Welch, G.H. Mehl, A. Kocot, Molecular biaxiality determines the helical structure – infrared measurements of the molecular order in the nematic twist -bend phase of difluoro terphenyl dimer. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 23, 4151- 4160 (2021)

    work page 2021

  34. [34]

    M. Gao, Y. -K. Kim, C. Zhang, V. Borshch, S. Zhou, H. -S. Park, A. Jákli, O.D. Lavrentovich, M.-G. Tamba, A. Kohlmeier, G.H. Mehl, W. Weissflog, D. Studer, B. Zuber, H. Gnägi, F. Lin, Direct Observation of Liquid Crystals Using Cryo-TEM: Specimen Preparation and Low-Dose Imaging. Microsc. Res. Tech. 77, 754-772 (2014)

    work page 2014

  35. [35]

    C. Zhu, C. Wang, A. You ng, F. Liu, I. Gunkel, D. Chen, D. Walba, J. Maclennan, N.A. Clark, A. Hexemer, Probing and controlling liquid crystal helical nanofilaments. Nano Lett. 15 (5), 3420–3424 (2015)

    work page 2015

  36. [36]

    Zhu, M.R

    C. Zhu, M.R. Tuchband, A. Young, M. Shuai, A. Scarbrough, D.M. Walba, J.E. Maclennan, C. Wang, A. Hexemer, N.A. Clark, Resonant carbon K-edge soft X-ray scattering from lattice-free heliconical molecular ordering: soft dilative elasticity of the twist-bend liquid crystal phase. Phys. Rev. Lett. 116 (14), 147803-6 (2016). 32

    work page 2016

  37. [37]

    Tuchband, D.A

    M.R. Tuchband, D.A. Paterson, M. Salamo ´nczyk, V.A. Norman, A.N. Scarbrough, E. Forsyth, E. Garcia, C. Wang, J.M. Storey, D.M. Walba, S. Sprunt, A. Jákli, C. Zhu, C.T. Imrie, N.A. Clark, Distinct differences in the nanoscale behaviors of the twist –bend liquid crystal phase of a flexible linear trimer and homologous dimer, Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 116 (...

    work page 2019

  38. [38]

    Y. Cao, C. Feng, A. Jakli, C. Zhu, F. Liu, Deciphering chiral structures in soft materials via resonant soft and tender X-ray scattering. Giant, 2, 100018-17 (2020)

    work page 2020

  39. [39]

    C. Feng, J. Feng, R. Saha, Y. Arakawa, J. Gleeson, S. Sprunt, C. Zhu, A. Jákli, Manipulation of the nanoscale heliconical structure of a twist-bend nematic material with polarised light. Phys. Rev. Research, 2, 032004(R)-7 (2020)

    work page 2020

  40. [40]

    Arakawa, K

    Y. Arakawa, K. Komatsu, J. Feng, Ch. Zhu, H. Tsuji, Distinct twist -bend nematic phase behaviors associated with the ester -linkage direction of thioether -linked liquid crystal dimers. Mater. Adv. 2, 261-272 (2021)

    work page 2021

  41. [41]

    Y. Cao, J. Feng, A. Nallapaneni, Y. Arakawa, K. Zhao, H. Zhang, G.H. Mehl, C. Zhu, F. Liu. Deciphering helix assembly in the heliconical nematic phase via tender resonant X -ray scattering. J. Mater. Chem. C, 9, 10020- 10028 (2021)

    work page 2021

  42. [42]

    deGennes, J

    P.G. deGennes, J. Prost, The Physics of Liquid Crystals, Oxford Science Publications, second edition, 1993

    work page 1993

  43. [43]

    Dunmur, K

    D. Dunmur, K. Toriyama, in Handbook of Liquid Crystals edited by D. Demus et al, Chapter VII, Vol. 1A, 189, 2001

    work page 2001

  44. [44]

    Double-Helical Tiled Chain Structure of the Twist-Bend Liquid Crystal phase in CB7CB

    M.R. Tuchband, M. Shuai, K.A. Graber, D. Chen, C. Zh u, L. Radzihovsky, A. Klittnick, L.M. Foley, A. Scarbrough, J.H. Porada, M. Moran, J. Yelk, D. Bedrov, E. Korblova, D.M. Walba, 33 A. Hexemer, J.E. Maclennan, M.A. Glaser, N.A. Clark, Double -Helical Tiled Chain Structure of the Twist-Bend Liquid Crystal phase in CB7CB. 2017. arXiv:1703.10787v1

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv 2017

  45. [45]

    Stevenson, H -X

    W.D. Stevenson, H -X. Zou, X -B. Zeng, C. Welch, G. Ungar, G.H. Mehl, Dynamic calorimetry and XRD studies of the nematic and twist -bend nematic phase transitions in a series of dimers with increasing spacer length. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 20, 25268- 25274 (2018)

    work page 2018

  46. [46]

    Arakawa, K

    Y. Arakawa, K. Komatsu, H. Tsuji, Twist -bend nematic liquid crystals based on thioether linkage. New J. Chem. 43 6786-6793 (2019)

    work page 2019

  47. [47]

    Arakawa, Y

    Y. Arakawa, Y. Ishida, H. Tsuji, Ether- and Thioether-Linked Naphthalene-Based Liquid- Crystal Dimers: Influence of Chalcogen Linkage and Mesogenic-Arm Symmetry on the Incidence and Stability of the Twist–Bend Nematic Phase. Chem. Eur. J. 26, 3767–3775 (2020)

    work page 2020

  48. [48]

    Merkel, R

    K. Merkel, R. Wrzalik, A. Kocot, Calculation of vibrational spectra for cyanobiphenyl liquid crystals. J. Mol. Struc. 536-564, 477-490 (2001)

    work page 2001

  49. [49]

    Goodby, Free volume, molecular grains, self -organisation, and anisotropic entropy: Machining materials

    J.W. Goodby, Free volume, molecular grains, self -organisation, and anisotropic entropy: Machining materials. Liq. Cryst. 44 (12-13) 1755-1763 (2017)

    work page 2017

  50. [50]

    Panov, J -K

    V.P. Panov, J -K. Song, G.H. Mehl, J.K. Vij, The Beauty of Twist -Bend Nematic Phase: Fast Switching Domains, First Order Fréedericksz Transition and a Hierarchy of Structures. Crystals 11, 621-22 (2021)

    work page 2021

  51. [51]

    Wilson, J.C

    E.B. Wilson, J.C. Decius, and P.C. Cross, Molecular Vibrations, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1955

    work page 1955

  52. [52]

    Sims, L.C

    M.T. Sims, L.C. Abbott, J.W. Goodby, J.N. Moore, Shape segregation in molecular organisation: a combined X -ray scattering and molecular dynamics s tudy of smectic liquid crystals. Soft Matter, 15, 7722- 7732 (2019). 34

    work page 2019

  53. [53]

    Tomczyk, L

    W. Tomczyk, L. Longa, Role of molecular bend angle and biaxiality in the stabilisation of the twist-bend nematic phase. Soft Matter, 16, 4350-4357, 2020

    work page 2020

  54. [54]

    Merkel, C

    K. Merkel, C. Welch, Z . Ahmed, W. Piecek, G.H. Mehl, Dielectric response of electric - field distortions of the twist -bend nematic phase for LC dimers. J. Chem. Phys. 151, 114908 (2019)

    work page 2019

  55. [55]

    Orgasińska, A

    B. Orgasińska, A. Kocot, K. Merkel, R. Wrzalik, J. Ziolo, T. Perova, J.K. Vij, Infrared study of the orientational order of the mesogen in discotic phases of hexapentyloxytriphenylene and hexaheptyloxytriphenylene. J. Mol. Struct. 511–512, 271–276 (1999)

    work page 1999

  56. [56]

    Orasińska, T.S

    B. Orasińska, T.S. Perova, K. Merkel, A. Kocot, J.K. Vij, Surface phenomena in dis cotic liquid crystals investigated using polarised FTIR transmission spectroscopy. Mat. Sci. Eng. C 8-9, 283-289 (1999)

    work page 1999

  57. [57]

    Mandle, C.T

    R.J. Mandle, C.T. Archbold, J.P. Sarju, J.L. Andrews, J.W. Goodby, The Dependency of Nematic and Twist -bend Mesophase Formation on Bend Angle. Scientific Reports 6, 36682-12 (2016)

    work page 2016

  58. [58]

    Archbold, R.J

    C.T. Archbold, R.J. Mandle, J.L. Andrews, S.J. Cowling, J.W. Goodby, Conformational landscapes of bimesogenic compounds and their implications for the formation of modulated nematic phases. Liq. Cryst. 44 (12-13), 2079-2088 (2017)

    work page 2079

  59. [59]

    Greco, G.R

    C. Greco, G.R. Luckhurst, A. Ferrarini, Molecular geometry, twist-bend nematic phase and unconventional elasticity: a generalised Maier -Saupe theory. Soft Matter. 10 (46), 9318 –9323 (2014)

    work page 2014

  60. [60]

    T.B.T. To, T.J. Sluckin, G.R. Luckhurst, Molecular field theory for biaxial nematics formed from liquid crystal dimers and inhibited by the twist -bend nematic. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 19 (43), 29321–29332 (2017)

    work page 2017