Reflection symmetry breaking in achiral rod-shaped smectic liquid crystals?

The results of an investigation, which shows that the chirality of SmC phase derives from surface interactions, are described. No evidence for the presence of a ferroelectric polarization in the SmC phase of 4'-octyloxyphenyl-4-octyloxybenzoate, a necessary result of chiral symmetry of the phase, could be found, even though very sensitive tests for such polarization are applied.