ABSTRACT
This chapter summarizes studies aiming at practical applications of bent-shaped mesogens. A different type of device proposed by Mathews et al. is based on bent-core molecules bearing chiral carbons and an azo-linkage at each arm. The molecule shows the cholesteric phase exhibiting a selective reflection. The reflection band is tunable by external stimuli such as temperature, light, and an electric field. However, the same effect is well known in calamitic liquid crystals. Because of large nonlinear susceptibility values one can imagine the application to piezoelectric and pyroelectric devices, which can be used for transducers, sensors, and memory elements. A large converse piezoelectric response was also observed in a thermoplastic elastomer containing bent-core liquid crystals. Interestingly, the liquid crystal-polymer composite becomes aligned during compression molding leading to a vitrified macroscopic polarization without electric poling.
