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The Scaling of the Molecular Dynamics of Liquid Crystals as Revealed by Broadband Dielectric, Specific Heat, and Neutron Spectroscopy

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The Scaling of Relaxation Processes

Part of the book series: Advances in Dielectrics ((ADVDIELECT))

Abstract

A combination of different complementary methods is employed to investigate scaling of the molecular dynamics of two different liquid crystals . Each method is sensitive to different kind of fluctuations and provides therefore a different window to look at the molecular dynamics. In detail, broadband dielectric spectroscopy is combined with specific heat spectroscopy and neutron scattering . As systems, the nematic liquid crystal E7 and a discotic liquid crystalline pyrene are considered. First of all, it was proven that both systems show all peculiarities which are characteristic for glassy dynamics and the glassy state . Especially for the nematic liquid crystal E7, it could be unambiguously shown by a combination of dielectric and specific heat spectroscopy that the tumbling mode is the underlying motional process responsible for glassy dynamics. Dielectric investigations on the discotic liquid crystalline pyrene reveal that at the phase transition from the plastic crystalline to the hexagonal columnar liquid crystalline phase , the molecular dynamics changes from a more strong to fragile temperature dependence of the relaxation rates. Moreover, a combination of results obtained by specific heat spectroscopy with data from structural methods allows an estimation of the length scale relevant for the glass transition.

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Abbreviations

BP:

Boson Peak

\( {\text{c}}_{\text{p}}^{*} = {\text{c}}_{\text{p}}^{{\prime }} - {\text{i c}}_{\text{p}}^{{\prime \prime }} \) :

Complex heat capacity, \( {\text{c}}_{\text{p}}^{{\prime }} \)—real part, \( {\text{c}}_{\text{p}}^{{\prime \prime }} \)—loss part

D:

Fragility parameter

δT:

Width of the glass transition

EA:

Activation energy

\( \upvarepsilon* =\upvarepsilon^{{\prime }} - {\text{i}}\upvarepsilon^{{\prime \prime }} \) :

Complex dielectric function, \( \upvarepsilon^{{\prime }} \)—real part, \( \upvarepsilon^{{\prime \prime }} \)—loss part

f:

Frequency

fp:

Relaxation rate

f∞:

Relaxation rate at infinite temperatures

HN:

Havriliak–Negami function

kB:

Boltzmann constant

q:

Scattering vector

S(q,ω):

Dynamic structure factor

S(q,t):

Incoherent intermediate scattering function

Tg:

Glass transition temperature

T0:

Vogel or ideal glass transition temperature

τ:

Relaxation time

VDOS, g(ω):

Vibrational density of states

VFT:

Vogel–Fulcher–Tammann

ξ:

Correlation length for the glass transition

ω:

Angular frequency (ω = 2πf)

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank for fruitful collaborations with Prof. Dr. C. Schick and Dr. H. Huth (University Rostock). Further, Prof. Dr. M. Dionisio (Universidade Nova de Lisboa) and Dr. A. R. Bras (University Cologne) are thanked for cooperation. Dr. C. Krause is thankfully acknowledged for her work in the field of discotic liquid crystals. The Institut Laue–Langevin (Grenoble, France) is thanked for enabling the neutron scattering experiments. The financial support from the German Science Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, SCHO-470/21-1) is highly acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und-prüfung (BAM), Unter den Eichen 87, 12205, Berlin, Germany

    Andreas Schönhals

  2. Institut Laue-Langevin, 71, Avenue Des Martyrs, Grenoble, 38000, France

    Bernhard Frick

  3. Jülich Centre for Neutron Science, JCNS and Institute for Complex Systems ICS, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425, Jülich, Germany

    Reiner Zorn

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  1. Andreas Schönhals
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Correspondence to Andreas Schönhals .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Molekülphysik, Peter-Debye-Institut für Physik der weichen Materie, Universität Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

    Friedrich Kremer

  2. Institut für Physik, Universität Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany

    Alois Loidl

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Schönhals, A., Frick, B., Zorn, R. (2018). The Scaling of the Molecular Dynamics of Liquid Crystals as Revealed by Broadband Dielectric, Specific Heat, and Neutron Spectroscopy. In: Kremer, F., Loidl, A. (eds) The Scaling of Relaxation Processes. Advances in Dielectrics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72706-6_9

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