Advanced Materials, Vol.12, No.21, 1617-1617, 2000
Ambient monocomponent ferroelectric liquid crystals with a wide smectic-C range (<-20 to <= 65 degrees C)
Monocomponent ferroelectric liquid crystals based on L-tyrosine (see Figure) are investigated here. It is shown that the series synthesized exhibits a wide ferroelectric thermal range between -20 degreesC and 65 degreesC as well as a high magnitude of spontaneous polarization. Hence these materials are a promising alternative to multi-component systems for optical display applications. [GRAPHICS]