The biaxial nematic phase of oxadiazole biphenol mesogens

Herein we review the attributes of the cluster biaxial nematic exhibited by bent-core mesogens derived from the oxadiazole biphenol mesogenic core. We present an array of static H-2 NMR spectra as well as 2D powder spectra generated by rotating the nematic phase of directly labelled mesogens. Analysis of these motionally averaged NMR observations requires the nematic phase to have monoclinic symmetry. X-ray diffraction data, in particular the effects of electric and magnetic field effects, are also consonant with the cluster picture of this biaxial nematic phase.