Laterally dibenzyloxy-branched nematogens with large nematic range and rich solid polymorphism

Mesogenic compounds containing four rings in the core usually have very high melting points. However, when two identical lateral benzyloxy groups are introduced on the same side of one of the central rings, the melting point is lowered dramatically and a large nematic range is retained. This range is affected by the bulkiness of the para-substituents in the lateral rings. Methyl groups can be introduced in the ortho- or meta-positions with a consequent decrease in the melting temperature without much affecting the nematic range. These compounds exhibit a rich solid polymorphism which is certainly related to the effect of the conformations of the lateral substituent on the molecular arrangment in the solid phase. Some preliminary NMR experiments on the nematic phase indicate that the molecular long axis coincides with the core axis, whereas the para-axis of the lateral fragment makes an angle close to the magic angle with respect to the molecular long axis.     

Dielectric studies of a 5-n-alkyl-2-(4'-isothiocyanatophenyl)- 1,3-dioxane (nDBT) homologous series (n=4-10)

The results of dielectric studies of seven members of a 5-n-alkyl-2-(4'-isothiocyanatophenyl)- 1,3-dioxane (nDBT) homologous series (n=4-10) in the isotropic and smectic A phases are presented. The complex dielectric permittivity, epsilon* (nu) = epsilon'(nu) - iepsilon' (nu), was measured with the aid of two experimental set-ups: an impedance analyser (10kHz-13 MHz) and a dielectric time domain spectrometer (TDS, 10 MHz-4 GHz). This allowed two main relaxation processes in both the phases studied to be separated: the low frequency (l.f.) process connected with molecular reorientations around the short axes, and the high frequency (h.f.) process connected with the rotations around the long axes. The measured dielectric increments enabled us to estimate the value and direction of the dipole moment of the nDBT molecules. The l.f. relaxation process in the isotropic and smectic A phases of the nDBT compounds exhibits some peculiar features which distinguish the materials from other similar substances. The observed decrease of the relaxation times and activation enthalpy with increasing n is discussed in relation to the molecular arrangements in the smectic layers.     

THE ORIENTATION OF THE TRANSITION DIPOLE MOMENTS OF CHLOROPHYLL a and PHEOPHYTIN a IN THEIR MOLECULAR FRAME

Abstract— In this paper we describe the determination of the orientation of the absorption and emission transition dipoles of chlorophyll a and pheophytin a in their molecular frame. For this purpose we have embedded the pigments in anhydrous nitrocellulose films with a concentration of 2 × 10^-7 mol/g. We have shown previously that under these conditions the pigments are in a purely monomeric state, are distributed uniformly both before and after stretching and that no intermolecular energy transfer among the molecules takes place.
Using a combination of steady-state anisotropy experiments on unstretched films and angle-resolved fluorescence depolarization measurements on stretched films, we obtain the orientation of the transition dipole moments of both pigments in their molecular frame and the orientational distribution function of the molecules relative to the stretching direction of the film.
The steady-state anisotropy measurements indicate that chlorophyll a has two distinct emission dipole moments and that excitation in the Soret-region results in simultaneous excitation of two or more absorption transition dipole moments. On the other hand, excitation in the Q_Y-band involves only a single dipole moment. The directions of the transition dipole moments in the molecular frame are obtained from the angle-resolved measurements. Pheophytin a also exhibits two emission dipole moments, but the angle between them is much smaller than that between the corresponding dipoles for chlorophyll a . As a consequence the dipole moments contributing to the Soret-region could not be resolved and only an effective absorption transition dipole moment in the Soret-region is extracted.     

Hydrophilic interactions between organic and water molecules as models for monolayers at the gas/water interface

Model clusters of surfactant prototypes with small number of water molecules are calculated at different levels of theory. All approaches used yield correct trends in the variation of the dipole moment upon tail elongation or polar headgroup variation. Models including one, two, or more water molecules are optimized. The most stable structures are those with maximum number of atoms involved in hydrogen bonding. The normal components of the dipole moment prove to be less sensitive to the nature (aliphatic or aromatic) of the hydrophobic tail, in accord with findings from the phenomenological models. Values of the dipole moment approaching the experimental estimates required inclusion of sufficient aqueous environment (>20 water molecules per hydrophilic head) and of lateral intersurfactant interactions into the model.     

Buffer-induced changes of purple membrane surface electric properties: an electro-optical study

Buffer-induced alteration of the purple membrane electric dipole moments and electrokinetic charge was studied by electric light scattering and microelectrophoresis. The permanent dipole moment and electrophoretic mobility of purple membranes change in opposite direction in presence of 'P'- and 'N'-type buffer molecules, shown to produce 'positive' and 'negative' additional components to the bR light-induced charge displacement current. It is concluded that the two types buffer molecules distribute differently on the membrane surfaces, depending on their protonation state, as a result of different interaction with the membrane cytoplasmic and extracellular surfaces.     

磁场作用下葡萄糖近红外光谱检测技术研究

采用傅立叶变换红外光谱仪(FTIR)研究了磁场强度对葡萄糖溶液近红外光谱的影响,发现磁场作用下葡萄糖的近红外光谱吸收强度和部分峰位发生显著变化。分析了磁场对葡萄糖溶液近红外光谱吸收的影响机理。采用偏最小二乘回归法(PLS)建立了磁场作用下葡萄糖溶液的定量分析模型,使用验证集进行验证。研究结果表明,磁场对葡萄糖分子基团偶极矩产生诱导作用,使偶极矩增大,吸收增强;同时磁场作用下,葡萄糖分子趋于沿平行于磁场的方向排列,其基团振动频率(特征吸收峰)吸光度与浓度变化的线性关系得到极大的改善。该研究有助于提高葡萄糖分子吸收强度及其测量精度,为进一步提高血糖检测精度提供技术支持。     

When is a molecule properly solvated by a continuum model or in a cluster ansatz? A first-principles simulation of alanine hydration

In order to test the validity of the cluster ansatz approach as well as of the continuum model approach and to learn about the solvation shell, we carried out first-principles molecular dynamics simulations of the alanine hydration. Our calculations contained one alanine molecule dissolved in 60 water molecules. Dipole moments of individual molecules were derived by means of maximally localized Wannier functions. We observed an average dipole moment of about 16.0 D for alanine and of about 3.3 D for water. In particular, the average water dipole moment in proximity of alanine's COO(-) group decayed continously with increasing distance, while, surprisingly, close to the CH3 and NH3+ group, the dipole moment first rose before its value dropped. In a cluster ansatz approach, we considered snapshots of alanine surrounded by different water molecule shells. The dipole moments from the cluster approaches utilizing both maximally localized Wannier functions as well as natural population analysis served to approximate the dipole moments of the total trajectory. Sufficient convergence of the cluster ansatz approach is found for either of the two solvent shells around the polar groups and one solvent shell around the apolar groups or two solvent shells around the polar groups surrounded by a dieletric continuum.     

Field-induced alignment of oxygen and nitrogen by intense femtosecond laser pulses

Field-induced alignment of O2 and N2 was experimentally studied with laser intensities varying from 10(13) to 10(15) W/cm2. When the laser intensity was below the ionization threshold for these molecules, the interaction between the induced dipole moment of molecules and the laser electric field aligned the molecules along the laser polarization direction. After extinction of the exciting laser, the transient alignment revived periodically. Thus macroscopic ensembles of highly aligned O2 and N2 molecules were obtained under field-free conditions. When the laser intensity exceeded the ionization threshold for these molecules, multielectron ionization and Coulomb explosion occurred. Using two linearly polarized laser pulses with crossed polarization, we demonstrated that the rising edge of the laser pulse aligned the molecules along the laser polarization direction prior to ionization, which resulted in strong anisotropic angular distributions of exploding fragments. These results suggest that the degree of alignment should be taken into account when qualitatively comparing the ion yield of these molecules with their companion atoms.     

Improved mesophase stability of benzoxazole derivatives via dipole moment modification

By modifying the molecular dipole moments with lateral monofluorine substituent, improved mesophase stabilities were obtained for novel benzoxazole derivatives, 2-(4?-alkoxy-3-fluorobiphenyl-4-yl)-benzoxazole liquid crystals (coded as nPPF(3)Bx). The series of nPPF(3)Bx with lateral monofluorine substituent ortho to benzoxazole group have larger calculated dipole moments by about 2 D than the corresponding fluorine-substituted analogs (compounds I) with lateral monofluorine ortho to alkoxy group; it is interesting to note that they show lower melting and clearing points but better mesophase stability with wider mesophase ranges for the molecules with both polar (NO₂, Cl) and nonpolar (CH₃, H) terminal groups. Meanwhile, compounds nPPF(3)Bx show greater red-shifted photoluminescence emissions than compounds I, which suggest that π–π interaction between molecules is reinforced by the enhanced dipole–dipole interaction caused by increased dipole moments. These results suggest that modification of the molecular dipole moment is an effective method to improve the mesophase stability of the classical mesogenic compounds.     

Interaction potentials and free energies for ferroelectric liquid crystals in the model of polar non-uniaxial molecules

The possible forms of the model interaction potentials are proposed for rigid polar non-uniaxial molecules with the molecular dipole moment making an arbitrary angle with the molecule's long axis. The molecule orientation is described by the direction of two molecular axes: its dipole moment and the long axis. The intermolecular potentials dependent on both molecular axes orientations are considered. The simple model interaction potentials between chiral molecules are used. It is shown that the form of the interaction potential determines the set of the relevant order parameters of the system. The free energy is calculated in the Landau expansion form in terms of the relevant order parameters.     

Comparison of ab initio,CNDO/2 and experimental dipole moment derivatives for C2 hydrocarbons and formaldehyde

Dipole moment derivatives determined by ab initio and CNDO/2 calculations are compared with the corresponding data obtained from infrared intensities. For ethane, ethylene and formaldehyde, the recent results of quadratic force field calculations have been used to calculate experimental derivatives; for the latter two molecules, the individual intensities of certain overlapping bands were determined from the results of rovibrational analysis. The experimental dipole moment derivative with respect to the rocking symmetry coordinate, S₁₀, of ethylene has been found to be 0.03 D, as opposed to the value of ca. 0.4 D reported previously. CNDO results agree both in sign and magnitude with ab initio dipole moment derivatives.     

Ordering of some liquid crystals containing the 2-phenylindazole core

Molecules containing the 2-phenylindazole core present liquid crystalline properties even if the two terminal chains do not point along the same axis. ¹³CNMR in the liquid crystalline phase shows that the molecular long axis is nearly aligned with the para-axis of the phenyl moiety of the 2-phenylindazole core. This implies that the first fragments of the chain belonging to the indazole moiety do not lie along the molecular long axis. To promote liquid crystal properties, this chain needs to possess at least six carbon atoms.     

On the origin of a permanent dipole moment in nanocrystals with a cubic crystal lattice: effects of truncation, stabilizers, and medium for CdS tetrahedral homologues

A large anomalous dipole moment has previously been reported for nanocrystals with a cubic crystal lattice. By considering truncations of a regular tetrahedral CdS nanocrystal, the hypothesis that shape asymmetry is responsible for the observed dipole moment was tested and verified. The location and degree of the truncations were systematically varied, and corresponding dipole moments were calculated by using a PM3 semiempirical quantum mechanical algorithm. The calculated dipole moment of 50-100 D is in good agreement with a variety of experimental data. This approach also affords simple evaluation of the potential effect of the media for aqueous dispersions of nanocrystals. The substitution of the truncated corner(s) by molecules of H2O typically results in a substantial increase of the dipole moment, and often, in the reversal of its direction. The molecular modeling approach presented here is suitable for detailed theoretical studies of the dipole moments of II-VI and other nanoparticles and interparticle interactions in fluids. The data obtained from these calculations can be the starting point for modeling of agglomeration and self-organization behavior of large nanoparticle ensembles.     

Semifluorinated chains in 2D-(perfluorododecyl)-alkanes at the air/water interface

Langmuir monolayers of a homologous series of perfluorododecyl-n-alkanes (general formula F(CF2)12(CH2)nH, abbreviated as F12Hn, where n = 6-20) are investigated through isotherms of surface pressure (pi) and electric surface potential (DeltaV) versus area (A) and quantitative Brewster angle microscopy. The investigated monolayers are found to be liquid in nature. The negative sign of the measured surface potential evidences the orientation of all the investigated molecules with their perfluorinated parts directed toward the air regardless of the length of the hydrogenated unit. Analysis of the direction of the molecular dipole moment with respect to the main axis indicates that the minimum effective dipole moment is achieved for a molecule oriented at an angle of about 35 degrees to the surface normal. The film thickness was evaluated from the relative intensity measurements. The results suggest that the F12Hn molecules are tilted to the interface in the vicinity of collapse, which is in accordance with the liquid character of their monolayers.     

Electrochromism and Solvatochromism

The position and the intensity of electronic bands are influenced by an electric field. Pronounced changes in the position of absorption bands are mainly due to the dipole moment of the molecule in the ground state and the change in the dipole moment during the excitation process, and pronounced changes in intensity are due to the field dependence of the transition moment, which can be described by the transition polarizability. The effect of an external electric field on the optical absorption (electrochromism) of suitable molecules can be used to determine the dipole moment in the ground state, the change in dipole moment during the excitation process, the direction of the transition moment of the electronic band, and certain components of the transition polarizability tensor. These data largely determine the strong solvatochromism (solvent-dependence of the position and intensity of electronic bands), which is observed in particular with molecules having large dipole moments. Smaller contributions to solvatochromism result from dispersion interactions, which predominate in the case of nonpolar molecules. The models developed have been experimentally checked and verified by a combination of electro-optical absorption measurements (influence of an external electric field on absorption) and investigation of the solvent-dependence of the electronic bands.     

Relationship between the charge distribution and dipole moment functions of CO and the related molecules CS, SiO, and SiS

The dipole moment functions of the titled molecules are written as the sum of a charge and induced atomic dipole contribution and the distance dependence interpreted in terms of these components. These two contributions have opposite signs over a large range of internuclear distances, and when they have equal magnitudes, the dipole moment vanishes. This happens with CO near the equilibrium bond length and is responsible for its small dipole moment. The dipole moment of CS is 0.770(ea0), rather large for a diatomic in which the two atoms have essentially the same electronegativities; this is because for CS, the two components of the dipole moment have the same sign at equilibrium and reinforce one another.     

Interaction potentials and free energies for ferroelectric liquid crystals in the model of polar non-uniaxial molecules

Abstract

The possible forms of the model interaction potentials are proposed for rigid polar non-uniaxial molecules with the molecular dipole moment making an arbitrary angle with the molecule's long axis. The molecule orientation is described by the direction of two molecular axes: its dipole moment and the long axis. The intermolecular potentials dependent on both molecular axes orientations are considered. The simple model interaction potentials between chiral molecules are used. It is shown that the form of the interaction potential determines the set of the relevant order parameters of the system. The free energy is calculated in the Landau expansion form in terms of the relevant order parameters.     

13C NMR of molecules partially aligned by an electric field: A new method for determining the orientation of the dipole moment

Effects of external electric fields on ¹³C NMR spectra have been measured to determine the direction of the electric dipole moment in two asymmetric molecules, i.e. 1-fluoro, 2,4-dinitrobenzene and 4-chloro, 3-nitrotoluene. This new method is based on ¹³C¹H dipolar interactions induced by the electric field. The couplings depend on the angle between a CH-bond and the dipole moment of the molecule, so that the direction of the latter can be determined. The experimental alignments are slightly smaller than predicted on the basis of Onsager's theory.     

Dipole moments of symmetrical molecular systems

It is shown that quantization of nuclear motion causes the intrinsic dipole moment of a molecular system to depart from the classical representation, e.g., it is different from zero for symmetrical molecules. A formula is derived for the mean dipole moment ¯p as a function of temperature with allowance for the internal motion of the nuclei, which is functionally related to the dipole moment. Calculations are performed for ammonia with allowance for the inversion splitting, which is due to tunneling between two equivalent equilibrium configurations having their dipole moments in opposite directions. The temperature coefficient of ¯p may be positive or negative, in accordance with the relation between the tunneling frequency and the temperature; the formula usually employed is valid only in the limiting case of low frequencies and high temperatures. A deduction is given for the criterion for instability of the maximally symmetrical configuration with respect to odd nuclear displacements (dipole distortions); this is based on a simple model system having an inversion center, a totally symmetric ground state, and a triply degenerate odd excited state of the T_1u type. The experimental consequences of the results are discussed, as well as the concept of symmetry for a molecular system in which the maximally symmetrical configuration is unstable.     

In situ measurements of emission transition dipole moment of individual ordered microdomain of diprotonated tetraphenylporphine aggregate formed at dodecane/aqueous H<Subscript>2</Subscript>SO<Subscript>4</Subscript> interface

Rhombic-ordered microdomains of diprotonated 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphine aggregate, whose sizes were 10–200 μm, were formed at dodecane/aqueous H₂SO₄ interfaces. The light excitation of their two absorption bands (410 and 473 nm for H- and J-bands, respectively) led to one fluorescence band at longer wavelength (723 nm). The direction of the emission transition dipole moment (μ _e) of individual rhombic microdomains, determined with an in situ optical microscope and a linear polarizer, was almost parallel to the major axis, which was also almost parallel to the direction of the absorption transition dipole moment of their J-bands. Their absorption and emission transition scheme was proposed.