液晶二聚体

液晶二聚体作为半柔性主链型液晶聚合物的简化模型, 通过对其液晶性质的研究, 有助于理解更复杂聚合物体系的液晶行为. 另外, 液晶二聚体作为一类特殊的液晶也有其自身的相结构和相行为. 以分子结构与液晶态的相互关系为主线, 系统介绍了目前文献报道的对称及非对称棒状液晶二聚体(线形、H形、U形、T形)、盘状液晶二聚体(对称的盘-盘状液晶二聚体和非对称的盘-棒状液晶二聚体)和香蕉形液晶二聚体(对称的香蕉-香蕉形液晶二聚体和非对称的香蕉-棒状液晶二聚体)等各种不同类型的液晶二聚体的研究进展, 以期为新型液晶二聚体的分子设计提供一些借鉴.     

非传统型液晶分子设计与工程研究进展

从液晶基元连接方式、液晶分子拓扑结构以及凝聚态自组织方式等方面扼要介绍和评述了非传统型液晶分子设计与工程研究进展,并重点介绍了可望引起液晶显示技术革命的双轴向列相香蕉形液晶研究的突破性工作,展望了非传统型液晶分子设计和复杂自组织超分子液晶领域今后的发展方向。     

聚甲基丙烯酸胆甾醇酯共聚物的合成、结构与性能研究 Ⅳ.PMACE的相态转变及光学性质

Finkelmann和等人对侧链胆甾型高分子液晶的研究表明,将具有液晶功能的低分子基团,经过一个软段连接到柔性高分子主链上的梳型高分子在一定的温度下可以形成液晶态,调节侧链高分子液晶的分子结构、软段长度,可以改变其相态转变温度及微区形态。前已报导具有不同侧链结构的聚甲基丙烯酸胆甾醇酯共聚物的合成、相态转变及光学性质,本文通过对聚甲基丙烯酸胆甾醇乙烯酯共聚物(PMACE)的液晶态及结晶态的微细结构及相态转变与胆甾侧链含量关系的研究,给出了液晶态的形成条件及结构特征。     

盘状液晶材料的研究进展

盘状液晶分子容易形成柱状堆积的超分子组装体, 由于分子在液晶态具有一定的流动性, 使得组装体具有良好的结构缺陷自修复功能. 因此具有特定芳香共轭结构的盘状液晶分子可以呈现较高的导电特性, 能够有效传输电荷, 具有制备光电器件的潜在应用价值. 本文主要介绍以苯环、苯并菲、六苯并蔻、苝和肽菁为中心核的盘状液晶材料, 其分子结构的化学修饰对液晶性能的影响, 液晶材料在有机发光二极管(OLED)、有机场效应晶体管(OFET)和太阳能电池器件中的应用, 以及盘状液晶材料相关的动力学研究进展.     

含炔基类盘状液晶分子的研究进展

盘状液晶分子具有平面盘状结构且能在一定条件下排列成有序的柱状相,其特有的柱状相结构使得这类材料具有特殊的性质,在光电转换、有机半导体及液晶磁性材料等方面有着广泛的应用,因此受到广大科研工作者越来越多的关注。本文主要综述了近十几年来国内外文献报道的含炔基的盘状液晶分子及其性质,着重讨论炔基基团在不同的位置时对盘状液晶性能的影响。     

含1,3,4-噁二唑甲壳型液晶聚合物的合成与表征

甲壳型液晶聚合物（mesogen-jacketed liquid crystal polymer,MJLCP）是1987年由周其凤教授[1]首先提出的概念.从化学结构看,甲壳型液晶聚合物属于侧链型,由烯类单体经链式聚合制得,容易得到高分子量的产物,具有一般柔性侧链型液晶聚合物的一些优点.但是与柔性侧链型液晶聚合物不同的是,MJLCP分子中的刚性液晶基元是通过腰部或重心位置与主链相联结的,在主链与刚性液晶基元的侧基之间只有很短或者没有柔性间隔基.由于在这类液晶聚合物的分子主链周围空间内刚性液晶基元的密度很高,分子主链被由液晶基元形成的外壳所包裹并被迫采取相对伸直的刚性链构象.因此,这类液晶聚合物又和主链型刚性链液晶聚合物相似,具有较明显的链刚性.近年来,周其凤课题组围绕甲壳型液晶聚合物深入开展了分子设计与合成、分子结构与性能等多方面的研究.其中,设计合成具有特定功能的甲壳型液晶聚合物是在以往研究工作和学科交叉融合的基础上发展起来的一项新的研究工作.将一些有特殊功能的基团引入到甲壳型液晶聚合物中会使其具有崭新的特性.     

聚对氧化偶氮苯酚酯系列热致性液晶高分子的合成及液晶态研究

本文用界面缩聚法合成聚对氧化偶氧苯酚酯系列热致性液晶高分子。并用DSC,X-光衍射和偏光显微镜对其结构和液晶相进行了表征与研究。观察液晶态织态结构,计算液晶态时分子链间距,并观察聚合物取向液晶态的结晶结构。     

有机磁性液晶化合物的研究进展

介绍了磁性液体材料和分子磁体材料的分类和发展;重点评述了近年来出现的一种集磁性和液晶性于一身的新型多功能材料--有机磁性液晶材料的产生、类型、分子结构及研究进展;对有机棒状磁性液晶分子的合成方法和应用前景进行了展望.     

发光液晶高分子:分子构筑、结构与性能及其应用

发光液晶高分子结合了液晶高分子的有序性、稳定性、力学性能和发光分子的发光特性,有着广阔的应用前景。为了获得高效的发光液晶高分子,不同结构的发光液晶高分子被成功地设计与合成,包括主链型、侧链型、“甲壳”型发光液晶高分子、发光液晶高分子网络等。同时,分子结构、液晶相结构与光物理性质的关系也得到了相应的深入研究。本文总结了发光液晶高分子的最新研究进展,详细介绍了不同类型发光液晶高分子的分子结构设计合成、结构与性能、相关应用,并对其发展前景进行了展望。     

盘状液晶材料（1）聚集态结构及分子工程

介绍了盘状液晶材料的相分类和不同聚集态结构的特点，并对盘状液晶体系的分子工程和其它扩展性研究进展了综述。     

Synthesis and characterization of novel chiral dimers exhibiting highly frustrated liquid crystal phases

Two novel series of optically active dimers comprising cholesterol and biphenyl-4-yl 4-(n-alkoxy)benzoate cores interlinked though either an odd-parity/even-parity spacer have been prepared and characterized. They stabilize an extremely complex, frustrated liquid crystalline state viz., the twist grain boundary (TGB) phase with chiral smectic C structure, denoted as TGBC^∗ phase, over a wide (50–110 °C) temperature range. Notably, the dimers with an odd-parity spacer show an additional frustrated liquid crystal phase namely, the blue phase (BP). The presence of such frustrated phases suggests that the synthesized dimers are characterized by high enantiomeric excess and strong molecular chirality. Thus, 12 new optically active, nonsymmetric dimers reported herein constitute new examples of rarely found strongly chiral, optically pure dimers showing frustrated liquid crystal phase over an adequately wide thermal range.     

Synthesis, characterisation and liquid crystal properties of 2,5-bis[5-alkyl(alkoxy)phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole]bromobenzenes

A series of new thermal bilateral liquid crystal compounds with the phenylenebis-1,3,4-oxadiazole structure was synthesised. The molecular structures of the oxadiazole compounds were confirmed by FT-IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and mass spectrometry. Thermogravimetric analysis indicates that the compounds in an atmosphere of nitrogen have good thermal stability. Measurements using differential scanning calorimetry, polarising optical microscopy and temperature-dependent wide-angle X-ray diffraction indicated that the liquid crystalline properties are related to the length of the end groups. When the end group was tert-butyl or alkoxy with four and six carbons, the compounds exhibit no liquid crystal phase. However, compounds with end groups containing more than eight carbons show significant bidirectional thermally-induced liquid crystal properties and the structure of the liquid crystal phase is the lamellar smectic A phase. All the compounds exhibit blue fluorescence.     

Pyrrolidinium Ionic Liquid Crystals

N‐Alkyl‐N‐methylpyrrolidinium cations have been used for the design of ionic liquid crystals, including a new type of uranium‐containing metallomesogen. Pyrrolidinium salts with bromide, bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, tetrafluoroborate, hexafluorophosphate, thiocyanate, tetrakis(2‐ thenoyltrifluoroacetonato)europate(III) and tetrabromouranyl counteranions were prepared. For the bromide salts and tetrabromouranyl compounds, the chain length of the alkyl group C_nH_2n+1 was varied from eight to twenty carbon atoms (n=8, 10–20). The compounds show rich mesomorphic behaviour: highly ordered smectic phases (the crystal smectic E phase and the uncommon crystal smectic T phase), smectic A phases, and hexagonal columnar phases were observed, depending on chain length and anion. This work gives better insight into the nature and formation of the crystal smectic T phase, and the molecular requirements for the appearance of this highly ordered phase. This uncommon tetragonal mesophase is thoroughly discussed on the basis of detailed powder X‐ray diffraction experiments and in relation to the existing literature. Structural models are proposed for self‐assembly of the molecules within the smectic layers. In addition, the photophysical properties of the compounds containing a metal complex anion were investigated. For the uranium‐containing mesogens, luminescence can be induced by dissolving them in an ionic liquid matrix. The europium‐containing compound shows intense red photoluminescence with high colour purity.     

Synthesis,characterisation and liquid crystal properties of 2,5‐bis[5‐alkyl(alkoxy)phenyl‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole]bromobenzenes

A series of new thermal bilateral liquid crystal compounds with the phenylenebis‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole structure was synthesised. The molecular structures of the oxadiazole compounds were confirmed by FT‐IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and mass spectrometry. Thermogravimetric analysis indicates that the compounds in an atmosphere of nitrogen have good thermal stability. Measurements using differential scanning calorimetry, polarising optical microscopy and temperature‐dependent wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction indicated that the liquid crystalline properties are related to the length of the end groups. When the end group was tert‐butyl or alkoxy with four and six carbons, the compounds exhibit no liquid crystal phase. However, compounds with end groups containing more than eight carbons show significant bidirectional thermally‐induced liquid crystal properties and the structure of the liquid crystal phase is the lamellar smectic A phase. All the compounds exhibit blue fluorescence.     

Self-assembly of chiral mesoionic heterocycles into smectic phases: a new class of polar liquid crystal

The molecular design, synthesis and characterization of the first examples of both classical and non-conventional chiral mesoionic (mesomeric + ionic) liquid crystals derived from sydnones are described. The occurrence of chiral smectic phases in these novel compounds was evidenced by optical microscopy, calorimetry and X-ray studies.     

Current topics in smectic liquid crystal research.

Interest in the smectic liquid-crystalline state of matter received a substantial boost with the discovery by Meyer in the mid-1970s that a chiral smectic C (SmC*) phase exhibits a spontaneous electric polarization, and with the subsequent demonstration by Clark and Lagerwall of the surface-stabilized SmC* ferroelectric liquid crystal at the beginning of the 1980s. Since then, chiral smectic phases and their plethora of polar effects have dominated the research in this field, which today has reached a mature state where the first commercial microdisplay applications are now shipping in millions-per-year quantities. In this Review we discuss some of the topics of highest interest in current smectic liquid crystal research, and address application-relevant research (de Vries-type tilting transitions without defect generation and high-tilt antiferroelectric liquid crystals with perfect dark state) as well as more curiosity-driven research (the nature and origin of the chiral smectic C subphases and their intermediate frustrated states between ferro- and antiferroelectricity).     

Polycatenar liquid crystals with long rigid aromatic cores: a review of recent works

Recent studies on polycatenar mesogens are reviewed: phasmids, biforked mesogens and some non-conventional polycatenar liquid crystals. Some physical properties (permeation process, anisotropy of matter diffusion, columnar distortion) on the more common polycatenar mesogens are described.     

Ferroelectric smectic meso-phase formed by banana-shaped achiral liquid crystals

A new banana-shaped achiral molecule, 1,3-phenylene bis[4-(3-chloro-4-n-octyloxyphenyliminomethyl)benzoate] (PBCOB) has been synthesized, and its ferroelectric properties and homeotropic alignment investigated. The presence of a lateral chloro-substituent in the Schiff 's base moiety prevents the regular stacking of molecules and results in lowering the transition temperature and the degree of crystallinity of the switchable banana phase. Their smectic mesophases, including a switchable banana phase B₇, were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray scattering and polarizing optical microscopy. Both the left- and right-handed helical domains are spontaneously formed upon cooling from the isotropic liquid to the switchable banana phase B₇. By X-ray study, the smectic phases showed a layer spacing of 38.1 Å, compatible with the end-to-end distance of the molecule with a bent conformation. Significantly, the smectic B7 phase exhibited a periodicity of 292 Å that corresponds to a helical structure with periodicity about 7.5 times 38.1 Å. The spontaneous polarization for PBCOB is about 50 nCcm^-2 and shows a temperature dependence. The ferroelectric lyomesophase of PBCOB showed a ferroelectric electro-optical switching range extending more than 50°C, switchable at room temperature.     

Non‐symmetric liquid crystal dimers containing the 4‐nitrobenzohydrazide group: synthesis and mesomorphic behaviour

The synthesis and mesomorphic behaviour are reported of a new series of dimers containing 4‐nitrobenzohydrazide and azobenzene groups as the mesogenic units. These non‐symmetric liquid crystal dimers are found to exhibit a monolayer smectic A phase (SmA₁). Lateral hydrogen bonding and strong dipole–dipole interactions are shown to be the major driving forces for the formation of the SmA₁ phase. The present study indicates that the intermolecular interactions and thus the mesophase morphology of the liquid crystal dimers can be controlled by the appropriate selection of the molecular fragments capable of forming H‐bonds.     

Novel smectic liquid crystals based on benzo[c]cinnoline: their synthesis,mesomorphism, opto- and electro-chemical properties

A series of novel calamatic liquid crystals based on a polar benzo[c]cinnoline moiety were efficiently prepared through a facile route. Rich smectic mesophases were induced by the monoalkylated and dialkylated molecular design, including highly ordered smectic mesophases in the rectangular and hexagonal orders. Dialkylated phenylbenzocinnoline derivatives showed a very wide temperature range over 150°C for smectic C (SmC) phase, while the monoalkylated ones only presented the low-ordered mesophases, which exhibited a bilayer structure in crystalline phase. From pronounced reversible redox waves in a cyclic voltammogram and low-lying lowest unoccupied molecular orbital level of about ?3.2 eV indicated possible electron-transporting behaviour. In addition, a switching behaviour originating from ferroelectricity in SmC* induced by chiral dopant was observed.