Reactive Fluid Ferroelectrics: A Gateway to the Next Generation of Ferroelectric Liquid Crystalline Polymer Networks

Herein it is reported the first examples of reactive mesogenic materials (RMs) which exhibit fluid ferroelectric order based on the recently discovered ferroelectric nematic (NF) phase. These materials NF RMs and they provide the first steps toward the next generation of ferroelectric liquid crystalline polymer networks is termed. The chemical synthesis and characterization of the liquid crystalline properties of these materials is reported, demonstrating that they have the lowest longitudinal molecular dipole moments (µ) of any reported NF material of 7.39 D. It is go on to demonstrate a potential use case of this new class of reactive material through the polymer stabilization of a matrix which exhibits the NF phase, increasing the phase range of the ferroelectric phase from 75 to 120 °C. The NF RMs reported herein are an exciting step forward in ferroelectric liquid crystal research, demonstrating that reactive NF materials are achievable, allowing for the future development of liquid crystalline ferroelectric networks, elastomers and polymers.