Molecular dynamics of 4-cyano-3-fluorophenyl 4-butylbenzoate as studied by dielectric relaxation spectroscopy

Abstract

Dielectric ®-relaxation connected with reorientations of the 4-cyano-3-fluorophenyl-4-butylbenzoate molecules around short axes in the isotropic and nematic phases is presented. In the nematic phase the super-Arrhenius temperature dependence of the relaxation has been found. Vitrification of the supercooled nematic phase is shown. Below glass transition temperature the secondary ¯-relaxation has been identified and described well by the Arrhenius temperature dependence on cooling and on heating. After softening of glass to the metastable nematic phase a spontaneous crystallization occurs as for some other low-weight molecular glass formers.