Two‐Dimensional Skyrmion Lattice Formation in a Nematic Liquid Crystal Consisting of Highly Bent Banana Molecules

Abstract

We synthesized an ovel banana-shaped molecule based on a1,7-naphthalene central core that exhibits adistinct mesomorphism of the nematic-to-nematic phase transition. Both the X-ray profile and direct imaging of atomic force microscopy( AFM) investigations clearly indicates the formation of an anomalous nematic phase possessing at wo-dimensional (2D) tetragonal lattice with al arge edge (ca. 59 ) directed perpendicular to the director in the low-temperature nematic phase.One plausible model is proposed by an analogy of skyrmion lattice in which two types of cylinders formed from left-and right-handed twist-bend helices stacki nto a2 D tetragonal lattice,diminishing the inversion domain wall. Scheme 1. Chemical structure of 1Cl-N(1,7)-O6. Supportinginformation and the ORCID identification number(s) for the author(s) of this article can be found under http://dx.Figure 6. AFM images obtained for the N2 phase film surface. Clear stripe lines with ap eriodicity of approximately 60 were detectedl ying along the shear direction.