The orientational behaviour of dichlorobenzenes in nematic liquid crystal solvents

Abstract

The orientational order parameters of ortho-, meta-, and para-dichlorobenzene, dissolved in the nematic solvents EBBA and 1132, have been measured as functions of temperature and concentration, and used to determine the values of the potential energy parameters for each solute–solvent pair. These potentials have been interpreted in terms of a short-range contribution, which depends upon the shape and size of the solute molecule, plus a long-range term due to the interaction between the average electric field gradient from the solvent and the molecular quadrupole moment of the solute. Keywords: dichlorobenzenes, nematic solvents, liquid crystals, orientation, potential energy parameters.