Mossbauer studies of a Fe-57 bearing solute in a supercooled monotropic smectic-B liquid crystal

Abstract

Mossbauer studies of a Fe⁵⁷ bearing solute (1,1'-diacetylferrocene) in a supercooled monotropic smectic-B liquid crystal (p-n-hexyloxy benzylidene-p-toluidine) have been carried out. Asymmetry of the quadrupole partners indicate the orienting influence of liquid crystal molecules on the solute molecules. Unlike what has been previously assumed, these studies show that liquid crystal molecules do not perfectly align the mossbauer solute molecules but there is a certain order parameter of the mossbauer molecules with respect to liquid crystal molecules.