Hydrogen Bonded Supramolecular Liquid Crystalline Complex of 2,4,6-Triarylamino-1,3,5-triazines with Semiperfluorinated Benzoic Acids

Hydrogen bonded supramolecular complexes of 2,4,6‐triarylamino‐1,3,5‐triazines ( Tn ) with semiperfluorinated benzoic acids have been prepared. The mesophase behaviors of such complexes were investigated with POM (polarized optical microscopy), DSC (differential scanning calorimetry) and X‐ray diffraction. Columnar mesophase was found in the equimolar mixtures of the triazines with the semiperfluorinated benzoic acids. While the equimolar mixture of triazines with the nonfluorinated three fold alkoxy‐modified carboxylic acid was not mesogen. The mesophase formation is analyzed as the hydrogen bonding between the Tn and benzoic acid which leads to discrete dimeric supermolecule and enhances the polarity of the core region of the dimeric supermolecule; simultaneously, an increased intramolecular polarity contrast upon replacing alkyl chains by semiperfluorinated chains, which favors a microsegregation, and leads to the fromation of the columnar phase.     

Mesomorphic complexes through hydrogen bonding between alkoxy-substituted triarylmelamines and semiperfluorinated benzoic acids

The thermal behaviour of two 2,4,6-triarylamino-1,3,5-triazines carrying either three or six peripheral alkoxy chains have been investigated in binary mixtures with two-chain and three- chain partially fluorinated benzoic acids by means of polarizing microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray scattering. The melamines form hydrogen-bonded aggregates with the complementary carboxylic acids. Each investigated equimolar mixture exhibits a hexagonal columnar mesophase. In the case of the six-fold alkoxy-modified triazine the individual columns are built up by descrete hetero-dimers with a circular cross-sectional shape. The segregation of fluorinated from lipophilic side chain regions leads to a superstructure within the hexagonal lattice. The hexagonal columnar phases of 1:1 compositions of the triazine, incorporating just three aliphatic chains with the semiperfluorinated benzoic acids, are formed by pairs of H-bonded dimeric supermolecules.     

Nanoscale segregation,molecular recognition and fluorophobic effect – from molecular design towards complex mesophase morphologies

Mesomorphic structure formation of hydrogen-bonded complexes of amino substituted 1,3,5-triazines with complementary (semiperfluoro)alkoxybenzoic acids is presented. The substitution pattern of both components was modified systematically in order to elucidate the influence of molecular parameters on the mesophase morphologies of the binary mixed systems. The phase sequence of the triazines, and of their associates with the acids, spans the range from smectic layer structures to discontinuous cubic phases composed of closed inverted micelles. Columnar phases with various two-dimensional lattice symmetries and bicontinuous cubic phases were found as intermediates. The mesophase morphologies are discussed in terms of the microsegregation of rigid polar, lipophilic and fluorinated molecular blocks in different sub-spaces along with tailoring the shape of (curved) aggregates by the space requirement of incompatible molecular fragments.     

Correlated layer structures: a novel type of liquid crystalline phase with 2D-lattice

A novel liquid crystalline quaternary five-block molecule is reported which is composed of four incompatible molecular parts, a rigid biphenyl core, two polar 2,3-dihydroxypropoxy groups in the terminal 4- and 4'-positions, and a branched semiperfluorinated chain in the lateral 3-position, consisting of a perfluorinated and a lipophilic hydrocarbon wing. The self-organization of this compound was studied by polarized light optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction of aligned samples. These investigations confirm a novel liquid crystalline phase with two-dimensional (2D) lattice (columnar mesophase), which results from the positional correlation of smectic layers. The layer structure results from the segregation of the bolaamphiphilic parts from the side chains. Within the aromatic sublayers the biphenyl cores are arranged parallel to the layer planes, and the hydrogen-bonding networks of the terminal diol groups are segregated from the biphenyl cores, forming separate columns. The correlation between adjacent layers is due to the (partial) segregation of the fluorinated and hydrogenated parts of the lateral chains in the nonpolar sublayers.     

Synthesis and phase behaviour of hydrogen-bonded liquid crystalline complexes of allyloxybenzoic acid compounds with 4,4'-bipyridine

Three kinds of benzoic acid compounds were synthesized and characterized; the corresponding symmetric hydrogen-bonded liquid crystalline complexes based on these benzoic acid compounds and 4,4'-bipyridine (BPy) were then prepared. The existence of the hydrogen bonds was verified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The liquid crystalline properties of the complexes were demonstrated by polarizing microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. 4-Allyloxy-2-fluorobenzoic acid and two fluorinated hydrogen-bonded complexes exhibited only nematic phases, whereas the non-fluorinated complex showed both smectic and nematic phases. The clearing points and mesophase thermal range of the complexes decreased with increasing number of lateral fluorine atoms on the rigid core.     

Induction of mesomorphism in mixtures of poly[4-(3-methacryloylpropyl)pyridine] with partially fluorinated derivatives of benzoic acid

LC complexes of nonmesomorphic poly[4-(3-methacryloylpropyl)pyridine] with partially fluorinated derivatives of benzoic acid have been prepared via intermolecular hydrogen bonding between complex components. The induction of mesomorphic state has been observed for both mesomorphic and nonmesomorphic acids. It has been shown that the type of a mesophase manifested by the complexes varies from layered to columnar and cubic depending on the number of substituents in a low-molecular-mass component.     

Columnar metallomesogens derived from unsymmetrical pyrazoles

The synthesis and mesomorphism for two series of unsymmetrical pyrazoles and their nickel(II) complexes were described. This is the first example of nickel complexes exhibiting columnar phase. The derivatives with two alkoxy chains exhibited smectic A or smectic C phases; however, all derivatives with four alkoxy chains formed hexagonal columnar phases. In contrast, all nickel(II) complexes 1a formed hexagonal columnar phases. The crystal and molecular structures of 1-(4-propyloxyphenyl)-2-(3-(4-propyloxyphenyl)-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)ethanone were determined, and it crystallizes in the triclinic space group P-1. The overall molecular shape is considered as rod-shaped. The pyrazole and one phenyl ring were coplanar, however, they were not coplanar with other phenyl ring by a dihedral angle of ca. 66.2°. A dimeric structure formed by an intermolecular H-bond (2.11 Å) and a weak π-π interaction (3.51 Å) was observed, which was probably attributed to the formation of the mesophase. The XRD experiments confirmed their structures of the mesophases.     

A new high temperature mesophase of a double-swallow-tailed compound with weak optical anisotropy

A new six-ring double-swallow-tailed compound is presented which shows four liquid crystalline phases. In addition to a smectic C phase and two columnar phases (oblique and hexagonal), a high temperature mesophase was observed which exhibits a very weak birefringence and which shows unusual optical textures.     

Non-symmetrical bent-shaped liquid crystals based on a laterally substituted naphthalene central core with four ester groups

In the continuation of our study of the role of direction of the linking ester group and lateral substitution, we present three series of bent-core liquid crystals based on 7-hydroxynaphthalene-2-carboxylic acid. The mesomorphic properties were investigated by polarised optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction and electro-optical methods. For non-substituted and laterally methyl-substituted compounds, columnar phases of broken-layer type and a smectic A phase were found. With the increasing length of the terminal alkyl chain, an increasing stability of the lamellar smectic A phase was observed. Substitution with a methyl group led to substantial narrowing of the mesophase range and the chloro-substituted materials exhibited no mesophases. The results are also discussed in context with the earlier studied naphthalene based mesogens.     

New liquid crystalline phases with layerlike organization

Novel lamellar mesophases which are quite distinct from conventional smectic mesophases were obtained with a bolaamphiphilic triblock molecule composed of a rigid biphenyl core, two polar 2,3-dihydroxypropoxy groups in the terminal 4- and 4'-positions, and a semiperfluorinated chain [O(CH2)6C10F21] in the lateral 3-position. The competitive combination of microsegregation and rigidity in this molecule leads to layer structures in which the bolaamphiphilic cores segregate from the lateral chains into distinct sublayers. In these sublayers the biphenyl cores are aligned parallel to the layer planes. Decreasing the temperature leads to a subsequent inset of orientational and positional order of the biphenyl unit, which leads to a transition from an uniaxial SmA phase to a biaxial SmAb phase and finally to a mesophase with an additional periodicity within the aromatic sublayers. Here, microsegregation occurs on two distinct levels: The segregation of the nonpolar chains from the aromatic cores leads to the "bulk" layer structure and segregation of polar and aromatic subunits within the aromatic sublayers gives rise to an additional periodicity within the aromatic sublayers. These phases can be regarded as smectic phases built up by quasi-2D layers with nematic, respectively SmA-like order, separated by isotropic layers of the lateral chains.     

Liquid crystalline materials with complex mesophase morphologies

Liquid crystals, which combine order and mobility on a molecular and supramolecular level are increasingly accepted as a fourth state of matter. Besides the well-established nematic, smectic and columnar mesophases, more complex mesophase morphologies attracted increasing interest during the recent years. These are bicontinuous and discontinuous cubic mesophases and other two- and three-dimensionally ordered intermediate phases, superstructures induced by molecular chirality or by polar order of bent core molecules, novel biaxial smectic phases, and novel mesophase morphologies of polyphilic block molecules and dendrimers.     

Dilatometric investigation of thermotropic linear chain copper (II) alkanoates

The molar volumes of three binuclear copper (II) alkanoates (cupric octadecanoate, docosanoate, and tetracosanoate) were measured over the temperature range 30°–200 °C, which encompasses their phase transition to a columnar mesophase. A sharp volume increase in a narrow temperature interval about the transition was observed, consistent with a first-order phase transition. Values obtained for the partial molar volume of a methylene group in the columnar mesophase (16.9±0.3 cm³/mol) are between those for crystalline paraffins and for other smectic or discotic mesogens, respectively, indicating a disordered state, but not a complete fusion, of the aliphatic chains of the copper soaps in their columnar mesophase. The stacking period of the binuclear copper complexes in a column was derived from a combination of dilatometric and X-ray data. Its value, 4.64±0.08 Å, is independent of the chain length of the complex and of the temperature.     

First observation of a columnar mesophase in a carborane‐containing main‐chain semiflexible copolymer

A comparison of the structure and phase composition of a recently synthesized carborane‐containing copolymer and its wholly organic analogue was carried out by DSC and X‐ray analysis in a wide temperature range between 20–300°C. It is found that the incorporation of 10 mol‐% of m‐carboranedicarboxylic units in the polymer prepared from 4,4′‐dihydroxybiphenyl and sebacic acid, acting as mesogen and flexible spacer, respectively, leads to the formation of a columnar mesophase at elevated temperatures. This newly observed phase occurs in addition to the crystalline and liquid crystalline smectic phases known for the wholly organic analogue.     

不同拓扑构型嵌段液晶分子的合成与相变行为

本文对近来报道的三类嵌段液晶分子：多羟基1－苯甲酰胺－2，3－丙二醇两亲性分子I,星状季戊四醇苯甲酸酯II及带侧链的波拉化合物III的合成及自组装行为作了综述。这些分子由各向异性嵌段、两亲性嵌段和烷基链（或全氟链）以不同的拓扑形式组合而成，其合成的关键步骤是Pd(0)催化下碘代全氟烷烃对双键的自由基加成反应以及Pd(0)催化的偶合反应。通过调节亲水部分和亲脂部分的比例, 在I和II-F中观察到了从近晶层相（Sm）到柱相（Col）再到三维立方相（Cub）的液晶相序列；在波拉分子III-F中通过改变侧链的长度, 获得了一系列柱相及新型层相。这些研究表明, 利用多元化竞争组合理念，将分子中不相容的部分以不同的拓扑形式结合在一起，通过它们的微观相分离, 形成不同的微观区域, 获得不同的界面, 产生不同的界面曲率, 可设计合成具有不同微观结构的超分子体系， 从而在分子水平上控制分子的自组装行为； 同时全氟链的引入所带来的氟效应能促进微观分离，稳定液晶相，并有利于复杂超分子体系的产生。     

Phase transfer Pd(0)/Cu(I) catalysed polymerization reactions 7. Synthesis and thermotropic behaviour of 1,4-bis[2-(3',3'-difluoro-4',4'-di-n-alkyloxyphenyl)-ethynyl]benzene dimers

The symmetrically difluorinated aryl-acetylene dimers, 1,4-bis[2-(3',3'-difluoro-4',4'-di-n-alkyloxyphenyl)ethynyl]benzenes (n = 7-12), were prepared by a one pot phase transfer. Pd(0)/Cu(I) catalysed, three step coupling of 1,4-diiodobenzene with 2-methyl-3-butyn-2-ol and the appropriate 1-bromo-3-fluoro-(4-n-alkyloxy)benzene. All members of the series display enantiotropic nematic and smectic C phases as well as an additional smectic mesophase in the sequence C-S-S_C-N-I. The textures observed by polarized optical microscopy strongly support identification of the second smectic phase as a S_E mesophase. The S_C temperature window increases as the length of the n-alkyloxy substituent increases, whereas the stability of the nematic and S_E temperature windows decrease. In these fluorinated dimers, destabilization of mesomorphic behaviour by lateral fluorine substitution is compensated by stabilization due to the large length to breadth ratio of the mesogen, such that melting and crystallization are depressed more than isotropization when compared to the non-fluorinated dimers.     

Penetration by water of polyhydroxy amphiphiles in the crystalline versus the liquid crystalline states

The penetration of water in contact preparations with polyhydroxy amphiphiles in different aggregation states is compared. The onset of penetration is found at much higher temperatures when the samples are in the solid state than when they are in a super-cooled liquid-crystalline state in the case of the smectic A_d and smectic B₂phases, but not the columnar hexagonal (D_hd) mesophase. The enhanced accessibility of the bilayer smectic phases can be explained by assuming that the molecular arrangement in the layers is similar to that found in the lamellar lyotropic phase, where the polar groups are on the outside and the (partially intercalated) alkyl chains are in the core of the layers.     

Synthesis and mesomorphic properties of some platinum(II) and oxovanadium(IV) complexes

The synthesis and mesomorphic properties of a homologous series of N-(2-hydroxy-4-n-alkoxybenzylidene)-4'-n-decylphenylanilines and their platinum(II) and oxovanadium(IV) complexes are reported. All the ligands and their metal chelates exhibit enantiotropic mesophases, predominantly smectic A and smectic C phases. The transition temperatures and enthalpies have been determined for most of the compounds. The platinum(II) complexes have higher melting points and mesophase thermal stabilities. However, the oxovanadium(IV) complexes have a wider thermal range for the mesophase. Both platinum(II) and oxovanadium(IV) complexes containing only a chain on the biphenyl moiety exhibit a nematic phase.     

The effect of fluorinated terminal chains on the mesomorphic properties of 4,4'-disubstituted phenyl benzoates

A variety of 4,4'-disubstituted phenyl benzoates having a terminal chain containing multifluorine atoms, attached directly to the benzene ring or through an ester group, have been synthesized and their mesomorphic properties determined by hot stage polarizing optical microscopy. These properties were compared to those of the corresponding hydrogenated esters and to other esters containing rigid terminal chains. Usually transition temperatures were higher and mesophase ranges wider than those observed for the parent compounds but no nematic phases were found. Any mesophase seen was usually a smectic A phase sometimes accompanied by a smectic C phase. Crystal E phases were found along with the smectic A phase in alkyl or alkoxy esters having a C₉F₁₉CO₂ chain on the acid side. A first order smectic A-smectic C transition was observed in the ester with CN on the acid side and O₂CC₇F₁₅ on the phenol side. A comparison of the effect of a terminal fluorinated chain and a lateral fluorine group on one set of esters is also included.     

Synthesis and characterization of liquid crystalline 5, 10, 15, 20-tetrakis(4-n-alkanoyloxyphenyl)porphyrins

5,10,15,20-Tetrakis(4-n-alkanoyloxyphenyl)porphyrins and their Zinc complexes exhibit hexagonal columnar phases with low phase transition temperatures and wide mesophase ranges.     

Wide nematic phases induced by hydrogen-bonding

New series of hydrogen-bonded supramolecular complexes, In/IIm, were prepared and investigated for their mesophase behaviour. The complexes were prepared through hydrogen-bonding between equimolar amounts of 4-alkoxyphenylazo-benzoic acids as the proton donors and non-mesomorphic 4-alkoxyphenylazo pyridines as the proton acceptors. The length of the terminal alkoxy chains was varied systematically on both terminals of the supramolecular complexes. The formation of 1:1 hydrogen-bonded complexes was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and FTIR spectroscopy. All of new complexes were characterised by DSC and polarised light microscopy (PLM). It was found that the prepared complexes are dimorphic, possessing smectic C (SmC) and nematic (N) phases with relatively wide ranges. A comparison was made between the present series of complexes and the previously investigated isomers of the simple 4-alkoxybenzoic acids with the 4-(4?-pyridylazophenyl)-4??-alkoxybenzoates, revealed the stability of the nematic phase is dependent on the length of the acid component.