The nematic phases of bent-core liquid crystals

Over the last ten years, the nematic phases of liquid crystals formed from bent-core structures have provoked considerable research because of their remarkable properties. This Minireview summarises some recent measurements of the physical properties of these systems, as well as describing some new data. We concentrate on oxadiazole-based materials as exemplars of this class of nematogens, but also describe some other bent-core systems. The influence of molecular structure on the stability of the nematic phase is described, together with progress in reducing the nematic transition temperatures by modifications to the molecular structure. The physical properties of bent-core nematic materials have proven difficult to study, but patterns are emerging regarding their optical and dielectric properties. Recent breakthroughs in understanding the elastic and flexoelectric behaviour are summarised. Finally, some exemplars of unusual electric field behaviour are described.