Calamitic metallomesogens derived from unsymmetric pyrazoles

Three series of copper(II) complexes 1a-1c derived from unsymmetric pyrazoles 2a-2c were prepared and their mesomorphic properties investigated. The mesomorphic behavior of compounds was studied by differential scanning calorimetry, polarizing optical microscopy, and powder X-ray diffractometry. The crystal and molecular structures of mesogenic copper complex (2a; n=10) of 3-[4-decyloxyphenyl]-1H-pyrazole were determined by means of X-ray structural analysis. It crystallizes in the triclinic space group P-1, with a=4.0890(1) Å, b=18.0167(2) Å, c=25.5015(5) Å, and Z=2. The geometry at copper center was not perfectly square planar. A weak intermolecular H-bond (d=2.36 Å) between Cl1 and H2 atoms and π-π interaction (ca. 3.45-3.55 Å) was also observed. All their precursors 2a-2c were not mesogenic. In contrast, copper complexes 1a formed nematic or smectic C phases and complexes 1b-1c formed crystalline phases. Powder X-ray diffraction experiments confirmed the presence of SmC phase.     

New polycatenar Schiff bases derived from 1,3,4-thiadiazole: synthesis,mesomorphism and luminescence behaviour

Two new series of columnar liquid crystal materials based on tetra- and hexacatenar Schiff bases were synthesised by reaction of 4-aminophenyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives with terephthalaldehyde (series 2a–f) and with 2,5-thiophenedicarbaldehyde (series 3a–f). The mesomorphic properties of these compounds were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarised optical microscopy (POM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The mesomorphic behaviour was found to be dependent on the nature of the central ring (benzene in series 2a–f, thiophene in series 3a–f), on length and on number of alkoxy chains. Both tetra- and hexacatenar compounds in series 2a–f display an enantiotropic hexagonal columnar phase. Whereas, in the case of the series 3, only the tetracatenar Schiff bases (3a, 3c and 3e) display enantiotropic hexagonal columnar mesomorphism, hexacatenar Schiff bases (3b, 3d and 3f) do not show mesomorphic properties. Photophysical studies were realised in solution and in solid state. Also, a thermogravimetric analysis was performed. A fibre obtained from compound 3b was analysed by POM showing that the mesophase is maintained in the fibre.     

Chloro-bridged complexes of copper(II) and manganese(II) derived from unsymmetric bidentate ligands: synthesis,crystal structure and characterization

Two new usymmetric bidentate Schiff-base ligands (2-pyridyl-2-furylmethyl)imine (L1) and (2-pyridyl-phenylmethyl)imine (L2) were prepared. The crystal structures of two chloro-bridged complexes [Cu₂(μ-Cl)₂(L1)₂Cl₂] (1) and [Mn (μ-Cl)₂(L2)] (2) derived from the each ligand have been confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The complexes were characterized by IR, elemental analysis and spectroscopic methods. In complex 1, the two copper atoms are five-coordinate involving a square-pyramidal geometry having a N₂Cl₃ donor set with the two chlorine atoms bridging the two copper atoms. In complex 2, the manganese atoms are both six-coordinate. In contrast to 1, all chlorine atoms in 2 are bridging chlorides and link adjacent manganese atoms together forming 1-D infinite chains.     

Liquid crystalline oligomers derived from cholesterol: synthesis and columnar mesomorphism

The novel columnar liquid crystals based on symmetric hairpin-shaped cholesterol tetramers bridged by rigid or hydrogen-bonding Schiff-base spacers were prepared by reacting cholesterol dimer with phenylenediamines or dihydrazides in yields of 70–85%. Structural characterisation of these new compounds had been achieved by infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry. Their mesomorphic properties were investigated by polarising optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction. They exhibited good hexagonal columnar mesophase with three molecules in a disc of the columnar hexagonal state. This study implied that the symmetric cholesterol tetramers with rigid cores or hydrogen-bonding cores prefer to columnar mesophase.     

Columnar bis(pyridinium) ionic liquid crystals derived from 4-hydroxypyridine: synthesis,mesomorphism and emission properties

A series of flexibly linked bis(pyridinium) salts with various counterions (Br^?, PF₆^?, BF₄^? and OTf-) was designed and prepared starting from corresponding N-alkylated 4-pyridones precursors with mesogenic 3,4,5-tris(alkyloxy)benzyl moieties (alkyl = dodecyl or tetradecyl). These salts were investigated for their liquid crystalline properties by a combination of differential scanning calorimetry, polarising optical microscopy and temperature-dependent powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). Their thermal stability was checked by thermogravimetric analysis. All bis(pyridinium) salts, except the triflate salt with shorter terminal carbon chain, display an enantiotropic liquid crystalline behaviour with a hexagonal columnar (Col_h) phase assigned on the basis of its characteristic texture and XRD studies. It was found that these luminescent bis(pyridinium) salts show weak emission in dichloromethane solutions at room temperature and a pronounced red-shifted emission in solid state. The emission properties of these bis(pyridinium) salts do not depend significantly on the nature of counterion employed.     

New chiral liquid crystal cyclic monomers based on diosgenin: synthesis and mesomorphism

A series of new chiral liquid crystal (LC) intermediate compounds (LC-C₁~LC-C₄) containing diosgenyl groups and the corresponding cyclic LC aliphatic carbonate monomers (LC-M₁~LC-M₄) were synthesised to investigate the relationship between their structures and phase behaviour. The chemical structures of the compounds obtained in this study were characterised using FT-IR, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR measurement. The phase behaviour and mesophase structure were investigated with polarising optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction measurement. As a result, LC-C₁ and LC-C₂ showed focal conic texture of the choleteric phase, while LC-C₃ and LC-C₄ with longer spacer length showed fan-shaped texture of a smectic A phase. The monomers (LC-M₁~LC-M₄) all exhibited focal conic texture of the choleteric phase on heating and cooling cycles. Furthermore, the effect of the spacer length on phase behaviour of the LC compounds was discussed.     

Recent advances of lead-free metal halide perovskite single crystals and nanocrystals: synthesis,crystal structure,optical properties,and their diverse applications

Lead halide hybrid perovskites have received massive research attention because of their unique inherent photophysical properties that driven them for potential application in the fields of photovoltaics, light-emitting devices, lasing, X-ray detector, and so on. Perovskite single crystals and nanocrystals are generally synthesized via various low-cost solution-processed techniques. The emergence of simple growth approaches of perovskite structures enable to fabricate low-cost and highly efficient devices. However, toxicity of Pb atoms and instability of perovskite structures obstruct further commercialization of these technologies. Recent efforts have been shifted to discover novel, eco-friendly, and stable lead-free metal halide perovskite (LFHP) materials and exploring their different growth processes for various device applications. This review aims to provide an up-to-date analysis of recent progress report on LFHPs and will mainly focus on their growth processes in the single crystalline and nanocrystalline forms. This review also tries to understand how the perovskite crystal structure impacts on their fundamental properties. In addition, we discuss the current progress in various field of applications and their future aspects.     

Non-conventional multi-arm ester liquid crystal derived from cholic acid: synthesis,thermal and optical behaviour

ABSTRACT

With cholic acid as the core, five multi-arm ester liquid crystals were synthesised with different terminal substituents. B₁–B₅ were mesogenic arms which were linked to multifunctional chiral core cholic acid. The effect of electron-withdrawing and electron-donating groups on the mesogenic behaviour of the compounds was discussed. All products were structurally well characterised by elemental analysis, ¹HNMR, and FT-IR. The phase behaviours were investigated by means of polarised optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. B₂, B₄, B₅ and C₂, C₄, C₅ and D₂, D₄, D₅ exhibited typical nematic texture and belonged to thermotropic enantiotropic nematic liquid crystals. B₃, C₃ and D₃ also displayed typical nematic texture of thermotropic monotropic nematic liquid crystal. B₁, C₁ and D₁ did not have mesogenic performance. Wider mesogenic range for 81.6°C of C₅ whose terminal substituent is nitro on heating cycle while 121.1°C on cooling cycle. The results indicated that terminal substituents have a pretty important effect on the mesogenic phase and range of multi-arm liquid crystal compounds. The mesomorphic behaviour of compounds with polar groups terminally substituted performance much better than those without polar groups. In this ester multi-arm liquid crystal system, electron-withdrawing groups terminally substituted behave better than those electron-donating groups substituted.     

Symmetric esters derived from 1,3,4-oxadiazole: synthesis,mesomorphic properties and structural study by semi-empirical calculations

Three homologous series of symmetric esters derived from 2-alkylthio-5-(p -hydroxy)phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole (series 3, 4 and 5) were synthesized and their liquid crystalline properties investigated by optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Depending on the chain length, nematic and smectic C phases were observed in the series 3 ; smectic A and smectic C phases in series 4. None of the homologues of series 5 shows mesomorphic properties. These three series are compared with other previously reported oxadiazoles. A structural study of AM1 semi-empirical calculations is also described.     

Symmetric esters derived from 1,3,4-oxadiazole: synthesis, mesomorphic properties and structural study by semi-empirical calculations

Three homologous series of symmetric esters derived from 2-alkylthio-5-( p -hydroxy)phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole (series 3 , 4 and 5 ) were synthesized and their liquid crystalline properties investigated by optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Depending on the chain length, nematic and smectic C phases were observed in the series 3 ; smectic A and smectic C phases in series 4 . None of the homologues of series 5 shows mesomorphic properties. These three series are compared with other previously reported oxadiazoles. A structural study of AM1 semi-empirical calculations is also described.     

Li4Cs3B7O14: synthesis, crystal structure, and optical properties

A new noncentrosymmetric polyborate, Li(4)Cs(3)B(7)-O(14), has been synthesized using the conventional solid state reaction method. It crystallizes in the trigonal space group P3(1)21 (No. 152) with unit cell parameters of a = 6.9313(6) ?, c = 26.799(3) ?, and Z = 3. The new structure contains an infinite three-dimensional matrix that is built from B(7)O(14) building blocks rarely found in anhydrous borate compounds and LiO(n) (n = 4, 5), CsO(n) (n = 9, 10) polyhedra. The optical characterization of the compound indicates that the compound is phase matchable, and the UV cutoff edge is below 190 nm. IR spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and second-harmonic generation were also performed on the reported material.     

An unprecedented tetranuclear Zn(ΙΙ) complex with an unsymmetric Salen-type bisoxime ligand: synthesis,crystal structure,and spectral properties

A tetranuclear Zn(ΙΙ) complex, [Zn₄L₂(OAc)₂(CH₃OH)₂] with an unsymmetric Salen-type bisoxime (H₃L?=?6-hydroxy-4′,6′-dibromo-2,2′-[ethylenediyldioxybis(nitrilomethylidyne)]diphenol), has been synthesized and structurally characterized. There are two kinds of coordination geometry (trigonal bipyramidal and square pyramidal) in the Zn(ΙΙ) complex. The molecule has serious distortion probably from the asymmetry. The complex exhibits blue emission with the maximum emission wavelength λ _max?=?423?nm when excited with 340?nm.     

New iodine-apatites: synthesis and crystal structure

The paper describes methods for the preparation of compounds with an apatite structure containing only iodine atoms in the “halogen” position. The crystal structure of the compounds was refined by the Rietveld method. The resulting apatites have a structure with a space group P6₃/m and have the following unit cell parameters: Ba^{4 f} _1.78(2)Ba^{6 h} _2.75(2)(PO₄)₃I_0.04(2) (a = 10.18609(34) Å, c = 7.71113(30) Å, V = 692.889(54) ų, R = 5.448 %), Pb^{4 f} _1.82(2)Pb^{6 h} _2.75(2)(PO₄)₃I_0.13(2) (a = 9.87882(18) Å, c = 7.43222(16) Å, V = 628.144(26) ų, R = 8.533 %), Pb^{4 f} _1.90(2)Pb^{6 h} _2.68(2)(PO₄)₃I_0.16(2) (a = 9.87058(48) Å, c = 7.41255(46) Å, V = 625.437(72) ų, R = 5.433 %). The study of the crystal structure showed a relatively low efficiency of the binding of iodine in the apatite matrix.     

Spectral, thermal and optical properties of L-tryptophanium picrate: a nonlinear optical single crystal

A new organic nonlinear optical material L-tryptophanium picrate was synthesized. From the powder XRD pattern the various planes of reflections were identified. The grown crystals were subjected to FT-IR and (1)H NMR spectral analyses to confirm the synthesized compound. Thermal properties of the crystals were investigated using thermo gravimetric (TG) and differential thermal analyses (DTA). The second harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency of the title compound was found using the modified experimental setup of Kurtz and Perry.     

Ethynyl pi-extended 2,5-diphenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazoles and 2-phenyl 5-(2-thienyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazoles: synthesis, X-ray crystal structures and optical properties

2-(4-tert-Butylphenyl)-5-(4-ethynylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole reacts with a series of heteroaryl iodides under standard Sonogashira cross-coupling conditions (Pd[PPh(3)](2)Cl(2), CuI, triethylamine, THF) to yield products 2a-g in 40-79% yields (heteroaryl = 2-pyridyl, 3-pyridyl, 4-pyridyl, 2-pyrazyl, 5-bromo-2-pyrimidyl, 2-thienyl and 3-thienyl, respectively). Compound 2f was lithiated followed by electrophilic iodination (BuLi, perfluorohexyl iodide) to give 3, which by a two-step sequence gave the terminal ethynylthienyl derivative 5. Conversion of 5 into the terminal ethynylaldehyde derivative 7, via acetal derivative 6, proceeded in high yield. Starting from 2-iodo-5-methoxycarbonylthiophene, a five-step sequence afforded 2-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-5-(4-ethynylthienyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole 13 (13% overall yield). Reactions of 13 gave terminal pyridyl, pyrazyl, pyrimidyl and thienyl derivatives, analogous to those obtained from 1. Two-fold reaction of 13 with 2,5-diiodothiophene gave the bis(ethynylthienyl)thiophene derivative 15 (30% yield). Solution UV-Vis absorption and photoluminescence spectra establish that replacement of the phenyl ring in the 2,5-diphenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole series 2a-g by a thienyl ring [i.e. the 2-phenyl-5-(2-thienyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole series 14a-g] leads to a red shift in the lowest energy band in both the absorption spectra and emission spectra. The X-ray crystal structures of compounds 2d, 2g, 5 and 14d.CHCl(3) reveal that the molecular structures are approximately planar although there are substantial differences in the conformations.     

GaN taper rods: Solid-phase synthesis, crystal defects, and optical properties

Wurtzite GaN taper rods assembled from highly oriented nanoparticles were synthesized using NaNH₂ and the as-synthesized GaOOH prismatic rods as reactants at 600 °C for 5 h. The lengths of the GaN taper rods are in the range of 4–6 μm and the diameters are about 0.5–1.5 μm. It was found that a slow heating rate (1 °C min⁻¹) was beneficial to keeping the one-dimensional (1D) skeleton of GaN, otherwise only GaN nanoparticles were obtained with a quick heating rate (10 °C min⁻¹). Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) observations revealed that the GaN taper rods assembled from highly oriented nanoparticles and there were crystal defects in the GaN structure. The GaN taper rods displayed luminescence emission in the blue-violet region, which may be related to crystal defects.     

The synthesis,X-ray crystal structure and optical properties of novel 1,3,5-triaryl pyrazoline derivatives

A series of novel 1,3,5-triaryl pyrazoline derivatives has been synthesized by the reaction of chalcone and 3-chloro-6-hydrazinylpyridazine in 47–82% yields. The structures of compounds obtained were determined by IR, ¹H NMR and HRMS spectra. Representatively, the spatial structure of compound 3d was determined by using X-ray diffraction analysis. Absorption and fluorescence spectral characteristics of the compounds were investigated in CHCl₃ by UV–vis absorption and emission spectra. The results showed that the absorption maxima of the compounds vary from 332 to 342 nm depending on the group bonded to benzene rings. The maximum emission spectra of compounds in CHCl₃ are dependent on groups in benzene ring in which a strong electron-donating group in benzene ring such as methoxyl group on C3 position of pyrazoline made the emission wavelength of 3e, 3f and 3g red shifted than that of compounds 3b, 3c and 3d with chlorine group. The intensity of absorption and fluorescence was also correlated with substituent on two aryl rings. In addition, the absorption spectra of these compounds change very little with increasing solvent polarity.     

L-alaninium perrhenate: crystal structure and non-linear optical properties

The crystal structure and non-linear optical properties of L-alaninium perrhenate, C₃H₈NO²⁺ ReO₄ ^?, are reported. The protonated amino acid and the perrhenate anion have their usual geometries. The three-dimensional hydrogen-bonded network can be seen as a stacking of layers parallel to the (100) planes. Each layer is formed by chains of alternating positive and negative ions along the b and c axes. Hydrogen bonding of adjacent layers forms alternating chains along the a axis. A high damage threshold and a second-harmonic generation efficiency three times that of KDP make this new material potentially useful in non-linear optics.      

Design,synthesis, crystal structure and in vitro cytotoxic properties of a novel Schiff base derived from indole and biphenyl

A novel and potentially active dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) inhibitor, namely 3‐({(E )‐[(E )‐1‐(biphenyl‐4‐yl)ethylidene]hydrazinylidene}methyl)‐1H‐indole (BEHI) acetonitrile disolvate, C₂₃H₁₉N₃·2CH₃CN, has been designed and synthesized. The structure of BEHI was characterized by elemental analysis, Q‐TOF (quadrupole time‐of‐flight) MS, NMR, UV–Vis and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The antitumour activity of the target molecule was evaluated by the MTT method. Results indicated that BEHI exhibited rather potent cytotoxic activity against human A549 (IC₅₀ = 20.5 µM ) and mouse breast 4T₁ (IC₅₀ = 18.5 µM ) cancer cell lines. Meanwhile, to rationalize its potencies in the target, BEHI was docked into DHODH and the interactions with the active site residues were analyzed. Single‐crystal structure analysis indicated that hydrogen bonds are present only between BEHI and acetonitrile solvent molecules in the asymmetric unit. The interplay of weak π–π stacking and weak C(N)—H…π interactions between neighbouring BEHI molecules play crucial roles in the formation of the final supramolecular frameworks.