InhaltsangabeChapter 1: Mesophase Behaviour at the Borderline between Calamitic and 'Banana-shaped' Mesogens, Gerhard Pelz &, Wolfgang Weissflog. Introduction Variants of polymorphism with SmCPA, conventional smectic (SmA, SmC) and nematic phases Polymorphism with polar biaxial SmA phases Direct transitions from the nematic to polar smectic or columnar phases Bent-core and calamitic mesogens - mixed with each other or covalently linked to each other Unusual properties of conventional smectic and nematic phases formed by bent-core mesogens Field-induced transitions from a non-polar phase to a polar phase Discussion Acknowledgement References Chapter 2: Physical Properties of banana liquid crystals, Antal Jákli, Chris Bailey & John Harden. Introduction Experimental Results Acknowledgements References Chapter 3: Atomistic-Resolution Structural Studies of Liquid Crystalline Materials Using Solid-State NMR Techniques: Solid-State NMR of Liquid Crystals, Akira Naito & Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy. Introduction SLF State-Correlated 2D NMR Spectroscopy SC-2D NMR Spectra of Liquid Crystalline Samples Summary and Scope References Chapter 4: Separated Local Field NMR Spectroscopy in Columnar Liquid Crystals, S. V. Dvinskikh. Introduction 13C-1H separated local field NMRspectroscopy Summary Acknowledgements References Chapter 5: Biaxial nematic phases in thermotropic liquid crystals, K. Severing and K. Saalwachter. Introduction A Long-discussed Candidate Phase Biaxiality in Nematic Liquid-Crystalline Polymers Phase Biaxiality in Combined Disc-Rod Mesogens Biaxial Nematic Phases in Liquid Crystals Consisting of Banana Mesogens Organo-Siloxane Tetrapodes Summary References Chapter 6: NMR Study Of Self-Diffusion, Anatoly Khitrin. Introduction Collective Coherent Response Signals Gradient-Echo with Soft Excitation Pulse References Chapter 7: Structure and Dynamics of Thermotropic Liquid Crystalline Polymers by NMR Spectroscopy, Isao Ando and Takeshi Yamanobe. Introduction Structure and dynamics of crystalline liquid crystalline polyesters with flexible side chains Diffusion of rod like polymers in the thermotropic liquid crystalline phase by field-gradient NMR References Chapter 8: Recent Experimental Developments at the Nematic to Smectic-A liquid crystal phase transition, Anand Yethiraj Introduction Background: The Hierarchy of Theoretical Approximations Experiments Probing Mean Field Parameters Experiments Probing Crtitical Behaviour Experiments Probing Phase Transition Order The Landau-Peierls Instability in Smectics Summary

Chapter 1: Mesophase Behaviour at the Borderline between Calamitic and a¿¿Banana-shaped¿ Mesogens, Gerhard Pelz &, Wolfgang Weissflog. Introduction Variants of polymorphism with SmCPA, conventional smectic (SmA, SmC) and nematic phases Polymorphism with polar biaxial SmA phases Direct transitions from the nematic to polar smectic or columnar phases Bent-core and calamitic mesogens - mixed with each other or covalently linked to each other Unusual properties of conventional smectic and nematic phases formed by bent-core mesogens Field-induced transitions from a non-polar phase to a polar phase Discussion Acknowledgement References Chapter 2: Physical Properties of banana liquid crystals, Antal Jakli, Chris Bailey & John Harden. Introduction Experimental Results Acknowledgements References Chapter 3: Atomistic-Resolution Structural Studies of Liquid Crystalline Materials Using Solid-State NMR Techniques: Solid-State NMR of Liquid Crystals, Akira Naito & Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy. Introduction SLF State-Correlated 2D NMR Spectroscopy SC-2D NMR Spectra of Liquid Crystalline Samples Summary and Scope References Chapter 4: Separated Local Field NMR Spectroscopy in Columnar Liquid Crystals, S. V. Dvinskikh. Introduction 13C-1H separated local field NMR spectroscopy Summary Acknowledgements References Chapter 5: Biaxial nematic phases in thermotropic liquid crystals, K. Severing and K. Saalwachter. Introduction A Long-discussed Candidate Phase Biaxiality in Nematic Liquid-Crystalline Polymers Phase Biaxiality in Combined Disc-Rod Mesogens Biaxial Nematic Phases in Liquid Crystals Consisting of Banana Mesogens Organo-Siloxane Tetrapodes Summary References Chapter 6: NMR Study Of Self-Diffusion, Anatoly Khitrin. Introduction Collective Coherent Response Signals Gradient-Echo with Soft Excitation Pulse References Chapter 7: Structure and Dynamics of Thermotropic Liquid Crystalline Polymers by NMR Spectroscopy, Isao Ando and Takeshi Yamanobe. Introduction Structure and dynamics of crystalline liquid crystalline polyesters with flexible side chains Diffusion of rod like polymers in the thermotropic liquid crystalline phase by field-gradient NMR References Chapter 8: Recent Experimental Developments at the Nematic to Smectic-A liquid crystal phase transition, Anand Yethiraj Introduction Background: The Hierarchy of Theoretical Approximations Experiments Probing Mean Field Parameters Experiments Probing Crtitical Behaviour Experiments Probing Phase Transition Order The Landau-Peierls Instability in Smectics Summary Acknowledgements References Chapter 9: Liquid Crystalline Conjugated Polymers - Synthesis and Properties, Kazuo AKAGI. Introduction Preparation Properties Conclusion Acknowledgements References Chapter 10: Fast Switching of Nematic Liquid Crystals by an Electric Field: Effects of Dielectric Relaxation on the Director and Thermal Dynamics, Ye Yin, Sergij V. Shiyanovskii, and Oleg D. Lavrentovich. Introduction Dielectric Response in Nematic Liquid Crystals ...