Nonlinear dielectric relaxation in solutions of hydrogen bonded liquid crystalline carboxylic acid

This paper presents the results of the nonlinear dielectric studies performed on solutions of 4-butyl-1-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid in cyclohexane at 25/spl deg/C. Two molecules of the acid, linked by two hydrogen bonds O-H...O, form a cyclic dimer of a rigid and linear structure. The increase of the number of dimers per unit volume finally leads to the nematic liquid crystalline phase. The isotropic to nematic pre-transitional effects were detected with nonlinear dielectric spectroscopy.