Hydrocarbon Chain Ordering in Liquid Crystals Investigated by Means of Infrared Attenuated Total Reflection (IR-ATR) Spectroscopy

Abstract Stationary and modulated IR-ATR spectra of Schiff's base nematic liquid crystals are reported. The mean order parameter of both, the aromatic core and the hydrocarbon chains is determined by analysis of the infrared dichroism of characteristic absorption bands. Hydrocarbon chain ordering was found to be considerably lower than predicted by Marčelja's statistical theory.