Induction of the chiral nematic phase in hydrogen-bonded blends of smectic copolymers and low molar mass dopant

A new approach for the preparation of chiral nematic materials is described. The induction of a chiral nematic phase in hydrogen-bonded blends of smectic comb-shaped LC copolymers containing alkyloxy-4-oxybenzoic acid fragments with a low molar mass chiral dopant (a derivative of pyridine) was observed.     

Chiral nematic phase in hydrogen-bonded blends of a side-chain smectic polymer with low molar mass dopants

The possibility of chiral nematic mesophase induction in blends of a smectic A side-chain liquid-crystalline copolymer with low molar mass dopants was studied. The chirality of the initial copolymer was determined by the cholesterol optical active groups; however, in the individual state it was not able to form any chiral liquid-crystalline phases. We have shown that the induction of the chiral nematic phase becomes possible in blends of such a copolymer with low molar mass dopants that are stabilized by hydrogen bonding. Phase behavior and optical properties of the blends were studied with X-ray scattering, differential scanning calorimetry and polarizing microscopy. Owing to hydrogen bonding the blends are stable over a wide range of contents and temperatures. The nature of the end group in the dopant molecules is shown to have an important influence on the chiral mesophase induction concentration and the clearing temperatures of the blends. Temperature and concentration dependences of the selective reflection maximum wavelength in the chiral nematic phase were also studied.

Induction of the cholesteric mesophase in hydrogen-bonded blends of polymers with a low molecular mass chiral dopant

A family of new hydrogen bonded complexes based on comb-shaped LC copolymers containing alkyloxy-4-oxybenzoic acid mesogenic fragments and chiral dopant molecules, derivatives of pyridine-4-carboxylic acid has been prepared. At concentrations of chiral groups in the range 1-25 mol%, induction of the cholesteric phase is observed. The temperature dependences of the selective light reflection wavelength were studied, and the helix twisting power was calculated. Depending on the type of polymer nematic matrix, this value varies in the range 12.1 to 18.3mum 1. With respect to optical properties, the chiral nematic phase in the hydrogen-bonded complexes is comparable to that in classical cholesteric copolymers in which the chiral group is covalently bound to the polymer chain.     

Induction of a chiral nematic phase in smectic polymers

A number of new photosensitive copolyacrylates of different composition were obtained by the copolymerization of chiral photochromic benzilidene-p-menthane- 3-one acrylic monomers with a smectogenic monomer containing a hexyloxyphenylbenzoate mesogenic group. The chiral, photochromic monomers differ by the length of the aliphatic spacer and the aromatic fragment. It was found that the introduction of a small number of chiral units into the copolymers (5 mol%) leads to the “degeneration” of the smectic C phase, which characterizes the hexyloxyphenylbenzoate homopolymer, and to the formation of the smectic A phase. An unusual effect of chiral nematic phase induction was observed for copolymers containing chiral side groups with two ring aromatic fragments. It should be pointed out that the chiral nematic phase does not occur in the case of the homopolymers of both initial comonomers. An explanation of this effect, based on the consideration of the chemical structure of the chiral and hexyloxyphenylbenzoate units, was suggested. The optical properties of cholesteric copolymers were investigated; the helical twisting power of the chiral groups of different structures was calculated. The possibility of using such copolymers as new photosensitive materials was demonstrated. Received: 16 December 1999/Accepted: 1 February 2000     

Side group functionalized liquid crystalline polymers and blends VIII. Nematic and SmAre phase formation in hydrogen-bonded blends of smectic side group LC polymers and a low molar mass dopant

Hydrogen-bonded blends based on smectic side group functionalized LC copolymers containing 4-alkyloxybenzoic acid fragments (proton donor) and a non-mesogenic low molecular mass dopant 4-cyanophenyl pyridine-4-carboxylate or 4-methoxyphenyl-d₄ pyridine-4-carboxylate (proton acceptor) were obtained. The blends containing 10-35 mol % of low molecular weight dopant form nematic (I-N-SmA) or re-entrant SmA phases (I-SmA-N-SmAre). The temperature dependence of the order parameter S, the birefringence Δn, and the splay K ₁ and bend K ₃ elastic constants of the nematic phase were studied by ²H NMR spectroscopy and the Fréedericksz method of threshold transitions in a magnetic field. A mechanism for the destruction of the SmA phase and the formation of the nematic phase in the hydrogen-bonded blends is suggested.     

Cholesteric mesophase of the hydrogen-bonded blends of liquid crystalline ionogenic copolymers with a low molecular weight chiral dopant

A family of a new hydrogen-bonded complexes based on comb-shaped LC copolymers containing the monomer units of cyanobiphenyl derivative and n-alkyloxy-4-oxybenzoic acid with a chiral dopant on the base of 4-pyridinecarboxylic acid and L -menthol, was prepared. At concentrations of chiral groups 1–25 mol %, the induction of cholesteric phase was observed. Temperature dependences of selective light reflection wavelengths were studied, and helix twisting power was calculated. Depending on the type of copolymer nematic matrix, this value is changed in the range from 12.1 to 19.6 µm⁻¹. It was shown that an increase of a distance between the chiral dopant and the main polymer chain results in a lower values of helix twisting power. With respect to optical properties, the chiral nematic phase in the hydrogen-bonded complexes is comparable to classical cholesteric copolymers, in which the chiral group is covalently bound to polymer chain. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3215–3225, 1999     

Side chain functionalized liquid crystalline polymers and blends, 1. Reentrant nematic phase formation in hydrogen-bonded blends of liquid crystalline functionalized copolymers with a low molecular weight non-mesogeic dopant

Hydrogen-bonded blends based on smectic comb-shaped functionalized LC copolymers containing alkyloxy-4-hydroxybenzoic acid fragments (proton donor) and the low molecular weight dopant 4-(4-pyridyloyl)cyanobenzoate (proton acceptor) were obtained. It was observed that blends containing 10–25 mol-% of low molecular weight dopants form a reentrant nematic phase (SmA-RN-SmA-I). The blend behavior in the magnetic field was studied, and the orientational elastic constants of the RN phase were determined.     

Amorphous chiral smectic A phase of side chain copolymers

The chiral structure of the anomalous smectic phase recently observed in chiral copolymers has been studied by optical methods. The phase is amorphous, but shows a short range order, as a combination of smectic A and cholesteric structures. This phase is presumed to possess locally the TGB_A structure.     

Photo-orientation phenomena in photosensitive chiral nematic copolymers

Photo-orientational phenomena have been studied for two comb-shaped cholesteric copolyacrylates containing azobenzene side groups. Copolymer^I contains nematogenic phenyl benzoate groups and photosensitive chiral menthyl-containing azobenzene side groups. Copolymer^II is composed of nematogenic phenyl benzoate groups, photosensitive cyanoazobenzene groups and chiral photochromic benzylidene-^p-methan-3-one fragments. Under the action of polarized Ar⁺ laser light (488 nm), orientation of the side groups of the copolymers takes place, and this orientation is perpendicular to the vector of the electric field of the incident light. This process shows a co-operative character; that is, it involves both photosensitive azobenzene and phenyl benzoate groups. The kinetics of growth of the photoinduced orientational order parameter were studied as a function of film thickness, incident light intensity, and preliminary UV irradiation. For the planar oriented films of the copolymers, irradiation with polarized light leads to the development of photoinduced birefringence Δⁿ; maximum values of Δⁿ reach 0.01. The photo-optical properties of copolymers^I and ^II are compared. Such materials may be used for 'dual' data recording by varying the helix pitch, selective light reflection maximum, and photoinduced birefringence or linear dichroism.     

Photo-orientation phenomena in photosensitive chiral nematic copolymers

Photo-orientational phenomena have been studied for two comb-shaped cholesteric copolyacrylates containing azobenzene side groups. Copolymer ^I contains nematogenic phenyl benzoate groups and photosensitive chiral menthyl-containing azobenzene side groups. Copolymer ^II is composed of nematogenic phenyl benzoate groups, photosensitive cyanoazobenzene groups and chiral photochromic benzylidene- ^p -methan-3-one fragments. Under the action of polarized Ar⁺ laser light (488 nm), orientation of the side groups of the copolymers takes place, and this orientation is perpendicular to the vector of the electric field of the incident light. This process shows a co-operative character; that is, it involves both photosensitive azobenzene and phenyl benzoate groups. The kinetics of growth of the photoinduced orientational order parameter were studied as a function of film thickness, incident light intensity, and preliminary UV irradiation. For the planar oriented films of the copolymers, irradiation with polarized light leads to the development of photoinduced birefringence δ ⁿ ; maximum values of δ ⁿ reach 0.01. The photo-optical properties of copolymers ^I and ^II are compared. Such materials may be used for ‘dual’ data recording by varying the helix pitch, selective light reflection maximum, and photoinduced birefringence or linear dichroism.     

The thermally sensitive characteristics of a (smectic LCP/ nematic LC/chiral dopant) ternary composite system

A transition between the transparent smectic A (SmA) phase and the light scattering chiral nematic (N*) phase was realized based on the thermally induced SmA N* phase transition for the homeotropically aligned \[liquid crystalline polymer (LCP)/liquid crystal (LC)/chiral dopant] ternary composite system. The LCP played an important role in increasing the intensity of the light scattering of the heat-induced N* phase. Meanwhile the effects of the composition of the ternary composite system on the thermo-optical characteristics were also investigated.     

The phase behaviour and optical properties of a nematic/chiral dopant liquid crystalline mixture system

The phase behaviour and aggregation states of a binary mixture of a nematic liquid crystal and a chiral dopant have been investigated. The nematic liquid crystal E7 was miscible with the chiral dopant S811 over their entire concentration range. Binary E7/S811 mixtures formed the N* phase for S811 contents under 20%, and the SmA* phase for S811 contents between 40% and 90%. BP and TGBA* frustrated phases were found during cooling, for S811 contents between 25% and 35%. The helical pitches of the binary mixtures decreased with increasing chiral dopant content. From XRD profiles, the orientational ordering of the binary composites was found to increase with increasing chiral dopant content.     

Photoorientation in hydrogen-bonded blends of liquid-crystalline polymers with a low-molecular photochromic dopant

A series of hydrogen-bonded blends of nematic liquid-crystalline copolymers with a low-molecular photochromic dopant and their covalent analogs were prepared. Their phase behavior and photooptical properties were studied. The introduction of a dopant increases considerably the isotropization temperatures of the systems. A comparative study of photoorientation processes in the blends and copolymers analogous to them was carried out. The induced dichroism in covalent systems is more pronounced than in similar hydrogen-bonded blends. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 2, pp. 322–328, February, 2008.     

Low-birefringent, chiral banana phase below calamitic nematic and/or smectic C phases in oxadiazole derivatives

Bent-shaped molecules based on the oxadiazole central core with various side wings and terminal chain groups have been synthesized, and their liquid-crystalline behavior was investigated by optical microscopic, X-ray, and electrooptic measurements. These molecules exhibit liquid-crystal polymorphism including both the calamitic and banana phases. Such a characteristic polymorphism is attributable to the larger bend angle of the oxadiazole core compared to that of the resorcinol core used in conventional banana molecules. Only one type of banana phase, designated as the Bx phase, is formed. It appears upon cooling from the nematic and smectic liquid crystals and exhibits chiral domains with a very weak birefringence (apparently optically isotropic). By applying an electric field, the Bx phase is altered to a high-birefringence B2 phase with a homochiral SmC(A)P(A) structure that exhibits an antiferroelectric response. From detailed analyses of the optical texture and X-ray patterns through the transformation from well-oriented calamitic phases, the Bx phase was found to exhibit a helical structure, which arises as a frustration from the ground-state B2 phase in such a manner that the blocks of B2 layers are twisted with respect to each other in a direction parallel to the layer plane similarly to the twisted grain boundary (TGB) phase.     

Light-induced Freedericksz transition in a nematic liquid crystal with chiral dopant

The influence of phototransformed molecules with chiralproperties changing on the absorption of light field on the light-induced Freedericksz transition threshold in a homeotropically oriented nematic cell is considered. It is shown that the appearance of the light-induced chiral molecules can decrease or increase the Freedericksz threshold value depending on the chirality sign of the phototransformed molecules and of the initial chiral dopant. Expressions for the threshold are obtained for circular and linear polarization of the incident light. The dependence of the threshold on the periodicity of the spatially modulated light intensity is estimated for large periods of modulation. The dependence of dopant threshold chirality on the director anchoring energy has been found.     

Photochromism in mixtures of liquid crystalline chiral copolymers with a photosensitive chiral dopant

Mixtures of a photosensitive chiral dopant based on ( )-menthone with left-handed and righthanded cholesteric copolymers were prepared. The phase behaviour and optical properties of the mixtures prepared were studied. The action of UV radiation on planar oriented films of such systems was shown to induce dramatic changes in the maximum reflection wavelength as a result of E-Z isomerization of the dopant molecules. The kinetics of photoisomerization of such mixtures in solution and in the bulk were investigated at different temperatures. The above mixtures can be considered as promising and uprecedented materials for coloured data recording and storage.     

Thermo-recording in (side chain type smectic A liquid crystal polymer/nematic liquid crystal/chiral dopant/dichroic dye) composite with a low power laser

Thermo-recording in a [side chain type smectic A liquid crystal polymer (SmA-LCP)/nematic liquid crystal (N-LC)/chiral dopant/dichroic dye] composite has been realized by using 2mW of power from a He-Ne laser. The laser irradiation-induced phase transitions of smectic A (SmA) → chiral nematic (N*) → SmA formed the dominant thermo-recording mechanism in the composite. Thermo-recording in the (SmA-LCP/N-LC/chiral dopant/dichroic dye) composite exhibited a higher contrast when compared with the non-polymeric (SmA-LC)/N-LC/chiral dopant/dichroic dye composite.     

Preliminary communication Induction of the smectic phase in comb-shaped liquid crystalline ionogenic copolymers by hydrogen bond formation

Using a radical copolymerization of 4-(4-cyanobiphenyl-4-yloxy)butyl acrylate and acrylic acid, a number of new liquid crystalline ionogenic copolymers capable of hydrogen bonding were synthesized. The formation of hydrogen bonds results in an invariant temperature interval of existence for the LC state (up to 52mol% of acrylic acid) and a rather sudden replacement of the nematic phase by the SmA phase with increase in content of acrylic acid ( 35 mol%) in copolymers.     

Controlled self-assembly of chiral gelator molecules into aligned fibers induced by nematic to smectic B phase transitions

Chiral bisoxalamide 1 shows remarkable gelling capacity of the nematic and smectic B liquid-crystalline phases of heptylcyclohexanecarboxylic acid (HCCA). Chiral nematic-containing left-handed helical fiber bundles are formed if the gelator is present in amounts higher than 0.55 wt %. With lower amounts of 1, no nematic gel forms, however, a nematic to smectic B phase transition triggers instantaneous self-assembly of gelator molecules into aligned fibers. The latter liquid crystalline gel system represents an example of controlled self-assembly induced by a liquid crystalline phase transition.