Biaxial nematic

A biaxial nematic is a spatially homogeneous liquid crystal with three distinct optical axes.

The first report of a thermotropic biaxial nematic appeared in 2004[1][2] based on a boomerang shaped oxadiazole bent-core mesogen.

In one azo bent-core mesogen a thermal transition is found from a uniaxial Nu to a biaxial nematic Nb mesophase,[4] as predicted by theory and simulation.

[5] This transition is observed on heating from the Nu phase with Polarizing optical microscopy as a change in Schlieren texture and increased light transmittance and from x-ray diffraction as the splitting of the nematic reflection.

In one study[6] a miscible system of rods and disks is actually found although the biaxial nematic phase remains elusive.