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Microrheology to Probe Smectic Clusters in Bent-core Nematic Liquid Crystals

Many bent-core nematic liquid crystals exhibit unusual physical properties due to the presence of smectic clusters, known as "cybotactic" clusters in the nematic phase. Effect of these clusters on complex shear modulus ($G^*(ω)$) of such liquid crystals hitherto unexplored. Here, we study flow viscosities and complex shear modulus of two asymmetric bent-core liquid crystals using microrheology technique. The results are corroborated with the measurements of curvature elastic constants. Compound with shorter hydrocarbon chain (8OCH$_\text{3}$) exhibit only nematic (N) phase whereas the compound with longer chain (16OCH$_\text{3}$) exhibits both nematic (N) and smectic-A (SmA) phases. Our results show that the directional shear modulus of 16OCH$_\text{3}$, just above the SmA to N transition temperature is strikingly different than 8OCH$_\text{3}$, owing to these smectic clusters. Thus, microrheology enables us to probe smectic clusters in bent-core nematic liquid crystals.