E. Fontes, P. A. Heiney, and W. H. de Jeu, Phys. Rev. Lett. 61, 1202-1205 (1988).
We have used x-ray diffraction to study oriented strands of hexa-hexylthiotriphenylene discotic liquid crystals. The low-temperature Dho phase consists of a triangular array of columns with periodic positional and incommensurate helical intracolumn order. A three-column superlattice results from the frustration imposed by molecular interdigitation in triangular symmetry. We suggest that the Dhd-Dho transition is driven by the increase in hydrocarbon tail stiffness and length with decreasing temperature.
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