Structure and dynamics of reentrant nematics: Any open questions after almost 40 years?

Abstract

Liquid crystals have attracted enormous interest because of the variety of their phases and richness of their application. The interplay of general physical symmetries and specific molecular features generates a myriad of different phenomena. A surprising behavior of liquid crystals is the reentrancy of phases as temperature, pressure, or concentration are varied. Here, we review the main experimental facts and the different theoretical scenarios that have guided the understanding of bulk reentrant nematics. Recently, some computer simulations of a system confined to nanoscopic scales have found new dynamical features of the reentrant nematic phase. We discuss this prediction in relation with the available experimental evidence on reentrant nematics and with the dynamics of liquids in strongly confined environments.

References in corpus (2)

• Entropy-driven enhanced self-diffusion in confined reentrant supernematics
• The role of string-like, supramolecular assemblies in reentrant supernematic liquid crystals

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• Odd q-State Clock Spin-Glass Models in Three Dimensions, Asymmetric Phase Diagrams, and Multiple Algebraically Ordered Phases
• Thermotropic reentrant isotropy and antiferroelectricity in the ferroelectric nematic material RM734
• Estimating melting curves for Cu and Al from simulations at a single state point