Synthesis and Characterization of Liquid-Crystalline Tetraoxapentacene Derivatives Exhibiting Aggregation-Induced Emission

A series of new tetrakis(dialkoxyphenyl) dicyanotetraoxapentacene derivatives ( 1 a – c ) were prepared by reaction of the appropriate terphenyl diols with tetrafluoroterephthalonitrile in good yields. Compounds 1 b and 1 c , which bear hexyloxy and decyloxy side chains, exhibited columnar hexagonal mesophases, as shown by polarized optical microscopy, variable-temperature powder X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction of methoxy-substituted 1 a revealed that the dicyanotetraoxapentacene core is highly planar, consistent with the notion that these molecules are able to stack in columnar mesophases. A detailed photophysical characterization showed that these compounds exhibit aggregation-induced emission in solution, emission in nonpolar solvents, weak emission in polar solvents, and strong emission in the solid state both as powder and in thin films. These observations are consistent with a weakly emissive charge-transfer state in polar solvents and a more highly emissive locally excited state in nonpolar solvents.     

柱状装药预制破片缩比战斗部爆炸冲击波和破片的作用时序

针对柱状装药的周向预制破片战斗部,结合无量纲分析方法和爆炸驱动理论,确定了影响破片和冲击波相遇位置的关键参数,给出了由缩比战斗部推广预测原型战斗部爆炸产生的破片冲击波作用时序的方法。采用ANSYS/LS-DYNA有限元软件进行数值模拟,对比验证了理论分析和数值试验结果,分析了战斗部缩比比例对冲击波和破片作用时序的影响。结果表明:缩比模型与原型战斗部爆炸产生的破片和冲击波的相遇位置之比和相遇时间之比主要取决于两模型的质量比,在不考虑破片速度衰减时,两模型中载荷相遇位置之比和相遇时间之比等于其质量比的0.33次方。受破片速度衰减影响,该方法仅适用于质量缩比不小于0.2的模型。     

Thiacalixarene Appended Azo-based Supramolecular Systems: Self-assembly and Photo Tuning Reversible Liquid Crystalline Properties

Four new azo-based supramolecular materials containing thiacalixarene core substituted by variable alkoxy groups ( TFA₁ – TFA₄ ) have been designed and synthesized for the mesomorphic and photoswitching properties. The liquid crystalline behavior were accomplished by using DSC, POM, and XRD studies. All azo-based thiacalixarene based materials with short and higher chain length display columnar hexagonal mesophase with broad temperature range. The thermal behavior of all the materials was investigated by DSC and TGA study. The structural and conformational study of the lower rim functionalized materials was confirmed by using different techniques. These thiacalixarene moulded liquid crystalline compounds shows columnar self-assembly type behavior and higher thermal stability. The introduction of bi-substituted azo-ester network towards the lower rim of thiacalixarene core has impact on the electron delocalization and liquid crystalline properties. The photoswitching properties suggested cis and trans azo-isomerization under radiation of UV light and higher thermal back relaxation time. The mesogenic behaviour of compound TFA₂ and TFA₄ were demolished by the influence of cis and trans isomerization. The structure-property correlation is studied to understand the variation in mesogenic properties with the substitution of variable alkoxy side chain.     

Liquid‐Crystalline Mesogens Based on Cyclo[6]aramides: Distinctive Phase Transitions in Response to Macrocyclic Host–Guest Interactions

Producing macrocyclic mesogens that are responsive to guest encapsulation presents a significant challenge. Cyclo[6]aramides, a type of macrocycle with a hydrogen‐bond‐constrained backbone, exhibit thermotropic lamellar, discotic nematic, hexagonal, and rectangular columnar mesophases over a considerably wide temperature range, including at room temperature. Additionally, cyclo[6]aramides show unusual mesophase transitions from lamellar to hexagonal columnar phase mediated by macrocyclic host–guest (H–G) interactions between the macrocycles and alkylammonium salts. The phase transition, triggered by an organic guest engaging in H–G interactions with a macrocyclic cavity, provides a novel strategy for manipulating the properties of liquid‐crystalline materials. The crystal structure of a homologous cyclo[6]aramide reveals a disk‐shaped, near‐planar molecular backbone that facilitates intermolecular π–π stacking and leads to columnar assembly.     

Influence of peripheral alkyl chain length on the mesomorphic behaviours of hexasubstituted triphenylene 2,3-dicarboxylic esters

A comparative study of our established synthetic approaches to hexasubsituted triphenylenes 2,3-dicarboxylic esters containing four identical β-alkoxy and two adjacent β-alkoxycarbonyl side chains shows that the phase behaviours of small-sized discotic liquid crystals can be tailored over a wide range by simply varying the length of the peripheral alkyl chains. All the prepared esters in two series were observed to form a single hexagonal columnar phase, except for Tp4-1 having four β-butyloxy and two adjacent β-methoxycarbonyl chains which displays two columnar mesophase behaviours with a transition from the columnar plastic phase to hexagonal columnar phase. A significant difference between the two mesophase was observed in the variable temperature X-ray diffraction studies, and the mesophase assignment was also confirmed by polarising optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Moreover, the prepared esters in each series display the general trend of decreasing clearing temperature upon increasing alkoxy or alkoxycarbonyl chains length. The intermediate triphenylene 2,3-dicarboxylic acids were also found not only to exhibit columnar hexagonal mesophase over a narrower temperature range by maintaining high melting and clearing points but also to form organogel on mixing with toluene or dichloromethane with the assistance of hydrogen bonding.     

The elastic modulus of particulate composites using the concept of a mesophase

A theoretical model for the evaluation of the elastic modulus in particulate composites has been developed. The method takes into account the existence of a mesophase between main phases, which constitutes an important parameter influencing the behaviour of a composite material. This layer between the matrix and filler develops different physico-chemical properties from those of the constituent phases and variable ones along its thickness. The effect of the progressive variation of the elastic modulus of the mesophase on the modulus of the composite was estimated by applying various simple laws of variation. Convenient laws of variation were introduced, varying from a simple one, assuming a linear law, to a more refined one using a parabolic law. Experimental results with particulates, based on iron-filled epoxy composites, compared satisfactorily with other models. However, the model based on a parabolic law was superior to all others on physical grounds.List of symbols E elastic modulus - v Poisson's ratio - volume fraction - r radius - V volume - K bulk modulus - r thickness of mesophase - parameter which depends on the sudden changes of the heat capacity for the filled and unfilled polymer C _p ^f and C _p ⁰      

Columnar liquid crystalline benzenetrisamides with pendant 1,3,4-oxadiazole groups

Novel liquid crystal materials based on 1,3,5-benzenetrisamide derivatives with three pendant 2-phenyl-5-(mono-, di-, and/or tri-n-alkoxyphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole arms (Ia–c, IIa–c) were prepared. The mesomorphic properties of these compounds were characterised and studied by differential scanning calorimetry, polarising optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The formation of a columnar mesophase was found to be dependent on the number of alkoxy side chains. The compounds Ib and IIb, with a total of six alkoxy chains, and compounds Ic and IIc, with nine alkoxy chains, exhibited an enantiotropic hexagonal columnar (Col_h ) phase with high isotropisation temperatures; however, compounds Ia and IIa with a total of three alkoxy chains formed a crystalline phase. Compounds IIb and c were room temperature liquid crystals.     

Tailoring of ionic supramolecular assemblies based on ammonium carboxylates toward liquid‐crystalline micellar cubic mesophases

Ionic liquid crystals based on ionic complexation of tris(2‐aminoethyl)amine (1) with 3,4,5‐tris(7,7,8,8,9,9,10,10,11,11,12,12,12‐tridecafluorododecyloxy)benzoic acid (2) and with 3,4,5‐tris(2‐octyldodecyloxy)benzoic acid (3) were investigated. The ionic complex with the partially fluorinated alkyl chains (1·2) exhibited a morphological transition from a hexagonal columnar mesophase to a Pm3n micellar cubic phase upon increasing the molar ratio of 2 to 1. For the complex with the branched alkyl chains (1·3) a micellar cubic mesophase was exclusively generated at appropriate composite ratios. The generation of the micellar cubic mesophases is attributed to the introduction of the laterally expanded volume of the alkyl chains compared with the corresponding normal dodecyl chains. Their thermal stabilities were most enhanced at a specific molar ratio of 1:5 for 1·2 and 1:4 for 1·3. This result corresponds to the most suitable chain volume for the stable micellar cubic mesophase.     

Synthesis,characterisation and mesomorphic properties of ester containing aroylhydrazones and their nickel(II) complexes

A new series of mesogenic aroylhydrazone-based ligands, N-[4-(4′-alkoxy)benzoyloxybenzylidene]-N′-[4″-alkoxybenzoyl]hydrazine with either the same or different peripheral alkyl chains, and nickel(II) complexes of some of them have been synthesised. They were characterised by elemental analyses, Fourier transform infrared, proton and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The mesomorphic properties of these compounds were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and polarising optical microscopy. All the aroylhydrazones, except those with no lateral chains on either end of the molecule and where m?=?n?=?14, 16, exhibit a monotropic or enantiotropic smectic C mesophase, which are almost insensitive to the peripheral alkoxy chain length. The square planar nickel(II) complexes of the ligands show only an isotropic phase at higher temperature (>175°C) and no mesogenic nature is observed. Density functional theory calculations have been performed using the GAUSSIAN-03 program at the Becke, three-parameter, Lee–Yang–Parr level to obtain the stable electronic structure of the ligand.     

Cubic phases of binary systems of 4′-n-tetradecyloxy-3′-nitrobiphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (ANBC-14)-n-alkane

The phase behaviour of the binary systems 4′- ⁿ -tetradecyloxy-3′-nitrobiphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (ANBC-14)- ⁿ -alkane ( ⁿ -tetradecane or ⁿ -hexadecane) was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, polarizing optical microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The phase behaviour was a function of temperature ( ^T ) and the effective carbon number of the system ( ^n*), where ^n* involves carbon atoms both from the alkoxy group of ANBC-14 and from the ⁿ -alkane added. ANBC-14 shows no cubic phase, but the addition of ⁿ -alkane induced cubic phases when ^n*≧c. 15. An interesting point is that the type of cubic phase is ^Ia 3 ^d for 15^≦n*≦17, while an ^Im 3 ^m type is formed for 18^≦n*≦20. Furthermore, for ^n* = 22, two types of cubic phase, one with ^Im 3 ^m symmetry in the low temperature region and the other with ^Ia 3 ^d in the high temperature region, were observed both on heating and cooling. The phase diagram with respect to ^T and ^n* is very similar to that of pure one-component ANBC- ⁿ , which is a function of ^T and the number of carbon atoms in the alkoxy group ⁿ .