Occurrence of Reentrant Nematic and Reentrant Smectic A Phases in Mesogenic Series

A systematic comparative study of several series of chemically neighbouring compounds apt to give a reentrant mesomorphism is proposed. Experimental data concerning the various reentrant phases are summed up. From these observations various factors favourable to the occurence of the reentrance are revealed. Thus, the chemical composition, the sense and the location of dipoles in the molecules, the reduced temperatures, the length of the rigid core are discussed as relevant parameters.