Molecular orientation behavior of chiral nematic liquid crystals based on the presence of blue phases using polarized microscopic FT-IR spectroscopy

• Molecular orientation of N∗LC have been analyzed by polarized microscopic FT-IR.
• The helical axis of N∗LC is inclined after phase transition from BP I.
• The behavior of in-plane anisotropy of N∗ depends upon phase transition sequence.
• The molecular orientation of N∗LC is affected by presence of BP I.

Study on molecular orientation behavior of highly twisted chiral nematic liquid crystals (N∗LCs) expressing blue phases (BPs) is important for developing new devices. This study examines the change of molecular orientation of N∗LCs due to the presence of BPs. Polarized microscopic FT-IR spectroscopy was used to study the in- and out-of-plane molecular orientations of N∗LCs that undergo a phase transition involving BPs. The band intensity ratio of CN to CH2 stretching modes (CN/CH2) in the IR spectra was used to determine the orientation of N∗LC molecules. The measured spectra indicated that the helical axis of N∗LC molecules was perpendicular to the substrate before heating and inclined on the substrate after cooling the sample which has phase transition from BP I to chiral nematic (N∗). The N∗LC molecule in the cell of rubbed orientation film exhibited the in-plane anisotropy after a heating-cooling ramp only in samples that passed through BP I. These results indicate that the changes of molecular orientation of N∗LC by phase transition are affected by BP I.