X-ray studies of the layer thickness in smectic phases

X-ray investigations of nine smectogenic substances exhibiting the smectic A_d, A₁ and crystalline E phases were performed at various temperatures. X-ray patterns yielded the layer thickness d (A_d, A₁ phases) and orthorhombic unit cell parameters (E phase). The layer thickness of the A_d phase in 4'-n-alkyl-4-cyanobiphenyls (nCBs) has different temperature coefficients for shorter (n = 8-10) and longer (n = 12-14) members, which is explained as resulting from two competing effects: a weakening with temperature of the intermolecular association energy that favours an increase in d, and the increasing number of conformers which reduces the molecular length. A small anisotropy of the thermal expansivity in the smectic phases was found by comparing the linear quantity d(T) with the linearized bulk characteristic of the system, V^-3(T), where V = 1/ρ is the specific volume, ρ is the density. Differences between the slopes of the two quantities are less in the case of the A₁ phase of two nDBTs (5-n-alkyl-2-(4'-isothiocyanatophenyl)-1,3-dioxanes). The present X-ray data and recent results of studies of the low frequency relaxation process in these compounds (under atmospheric as well as elevated pressures) give a consistent picture of molecular reorientations around the short axes in the smectic phases.     

Binary mixtures of smectic A1S with abnormal behaviour

Binary mixtures are composed of compounds belonging to the 4'cyanobiphenyl-4-yl 4'-n -alkylbiphenyl-4 carboxylate homologous series and halogenophenyl 4-(trans-4-n-decylcyclohexyl)benzoate (10XPCHB) have been studied. Compounds CBnAB are smectic A₁ for n ≤ 7 and smectic A_d for n ≥ 8; compounds 10XPCHB are smectic A, only. It was found that the S_Ad phase of compounds CBnAB exhibits ideal miscibility with the S_A1 phase of compounds 10XTCHB, and that the S_A1 phases of both compounds show abnormal behaviour. The S_A1 phase of compounds CBnAB is destabilized and the range of the S_A1 phase is enhanced on the side of 10XPCHB. The reasons for this behaviour are discussed.     

Effect of properties of the smectic Ad phase on the induction of a nematic phase in binary mixtures of smectics A1 and Ad

The phase diagrams of two series of binary mixtures composed of 5-trans-n-butyl-2-(4-isothiocyanatophenyl)-1,3-dioxane (smectic A₁) and 4-(trans-4'-n-alkyl-cyclohexyl)-1-(2-cyano-ethenyl)benzene or 4-cyanophenyl-4'-n-alkoxybenzoates (both smectic A_d) are determined. It is shown that the smectic layer spacing ratio and smectic phase transition enthalpy are the factors influencing the width and the position of the nematic gap created between the two smectic regions. It is found that their influence on this ability is in the opposite direction.     

Optical microscopy, DSC and X-ray diffraction studies in binary mixtures of 4-pentyloxy-4'-cyanobiphenyl with three 4,4'-di(alkoxy)azoxybenzenes

A large number of binary mixtures of 4-pentyloxy-4'-cyanobiphenyl (5OCB) and 4,4'-di(alkoxy)azoxybenzenes (nOAB) with n = 5, 6 and 7 have been studied by optical microscopy, DSC and X-ray diffraction methods. Over a wide concentration range the smectic A (SmA) phase is induced and the nematic (N) phase of the parent compounds is absent. Instead of the tilted smectic C phase of 7OAB an orthogonal SmA phase is observed when only 12% of the host molecules are replaced by 5OCB molecules. Moreover, in some mixtures the thermal stability of the induced SmA phase is found to be more than 1.6 times the stability of the mesophses in the pure compounds. The N-isotropic or Sm-I transition temperatures slowly increases with increasing concentrations, reaching a maximum at x _5OCB = 0.50 and then falling quite rapidly. In all the mixtures the enthalpy changes at the N-I transitions follow the simple additivity rule. In no mixture, except mixture C2, could the SmA-N transition be detected by DSC, although in all the mixtures the ratio T _NA/T _NI is found to be more than 0.95, which is in contradiction to McMillan's theory. Average intermolecular distances are found to have a minimum value near the equimolar concentration. From the concentration dependence of the smectic layer spacings it also appears that in all the mixtures the smectic A_d phase evolves from the smectic A₁ phase with increasing concentrations.     

Side chain liquid crystal polymers observed by transmission electron microscopy: Microstructure of polymethacrylates and a polyacrylate

The smectic structures of three side chain liquid crystal polymethacrylates (PMA) with different terminal groups and a polyacrylate (P₈) were analysed by transmission electron microscopy. Using low electron doses, we were able to obtain diffraction patterns and high resolution (HREM) images from highly oriented undamaged specimens. The results are compared with those from previous X-ray diffraction experiments. All the polymers have a smectic A structure. The PMA and P₈, each with a CN terminal group, are the least ordered. Their diffraction patterns show a smectic A_d structure. PMA-OC₄H₉ and PMA-φ) have smectic A₁ structures. The smectic layers, seen by high resolution images, are very well oriented with only a few defects such as notches or kinks. In the A_d structure, the well-ordered domains are smaller, and the defects are more numerous. The differences are due to the influence of the polarization of the side chain terminated with CN.     

Dimerization of polar smectics A1 with a terminal cyano group in the matrix of smectics A1 of lower polarity

Binary mixtures have been studied of polar compounds with smectic A₁ phases belonging to the following series: 4-cyanobiphenyl 4-yl 4'-n-alkylbiphenyl-4-carboxylate (CBnAB) and 4-(trans-4-n-decylcyclohexyl) benzoates (10XPCHB) with X = F, NCS, COCH₃. In these systems a strong destablization of the smectic A₁ phase is observed on the side of the CBnAB component and an enhancement of the smectic A₁ phase on the side of 10XPCHB. It is shown that the anomalous behaviour of the mixtures of two A₁ smectics with a similar layer spacing is due to the dimerization of CBnAB in the matrix of 10XPCHB which is of lower polarity.     

X-ray diffraction study of smectic A layering in terminally fluorinated liquid crystal materials

We report an X-ray study of smectic A layering for mesogenic compounds with fluorinated substituents in terminal positions. The measurements were carried out using diffractometers with one- and two-coordinate proportional chambers. It was found that in contrast to -CN or -NO₂ terminated smectics, the polar -OCF₃ compounds form only a monolayer smectic A₁ phase. The ratio of the intensity of the second harmonic to the first in smectic A phases formed by molecules with lengthy perfluorinated chains was found to be two orders of magnitude higher than is commonly reported for low molar mass thermotropic mesogens, indicating deviations of the density distribution function p(z) from a pure sinusoidal form. The layer periodicity d for these mesogens exceeds the molecular length L: d/L ≃ 1·1, which corresponds to a smectic A_d phase consisting of parallel or antiparallel dimers. We have observed that lateral fluorine substitution in the benzene ring adjacent to the perfluorinated chain leads to the disturbance of uniform smectic A layering and to the formation of a defect-modulated smectic A structure of a chequer-board type. For polyphilic compounds containing both hydrogenous and perfluorinated units in the terminal chain, the in-plane structure factor displays double-peaked liquid-like profiles indicating the existence of nearest-neighbour molecular stacking at different distances. The peculiarities of smectic A layering in fluorinated mesogens are discussed in terms of steric coupling and enhanced conformational rigidity of fluorine containing moieties.     

Induction of the smectic Ad phase in polar systems II. Role of steric effects in the smectic Ad phase induction

Binary mixtures in which one component is nCBB or its chiral analogue, and the second component is nCB, nOCB, n.CN, or one of their chiral analogues are studied by thermomicroscopy. The branched compounds induce the smectic A_d phase more strongly than unbranched compounds with the same alkyl chain length. The observed behaviour is discussed from the point of view of dimer formation. In all chiral systems, the TGB_A phase appears.     

Evidence of continuous evolution of smectic A2 from smectic Ad

We present here precise measurements of the layer spacing for two compounds, viz. 4-n-heptyloxyphenyl-4'-(4'-cyanobenzoyloxy)benzoate and 4-n-undecyloxyphenyl-4'-(4'-cyanobenzyloxy)benzoate. Contrary to earlier reports our data do not show any jump in the layer spacing at the expected A_d-A₂ transition temperature, showing thereby that for both compounds A₂ evolves continuously from the A_d phase.     

Synthesis of thromboxane A2 analogs—3 : (+)-Thiathromboxane A2

(+)-11a-methano-9,11-thiathiromboxane A₂(1) was synthesized from prostaglandin A₂ and prostaglandin E₂.     

基于第一性原理计算的铁电材料BaTiO3相关振动光谱指认

通过固相反应烧结法在1400 ℃下烧结4 h合成了BaTiO₃陶瓷, 并用X衍射确定了其为四方晶系. 进行了拉曼谱和红外谱的测量, 并采用洛仑兹函数以及四参数方法分别对上述光谱进行了拟合. 基于第一性原理的计算, 并考虑了横模纵模劈裂, 对拉曼和红外光谱进行了指认. 为了更好地分析振动模式, 所有振动模用群论的对称坐标进行了分解. 在12个光学模中, 仅具有拉曼活性的B₁模式是O4和O5沿着z轴的相对运动. A₁模式和E₁软模式是从立方BaTiO₃相的F_1u模式劈裂出来的, 对于四方相BaTiO₃的铁电性有着重要作用, 其体现在A₁⁽¹⁾模式造成了铁电z轴的极化, E₁模式导致了大介电常数. 这两个模式都可以看成是Ti 原子相对于O₆八面体笼子沿着z轴或者是xy平面的振动.     

Sulphur containing mesogens. The mesophasic behaviour of di(4-alkyloxybenzoates) of 4,4'-dimercaptobiphenyl

A homologous series of di(4-alkyloxybenzoates) of 4,4'-dimercaptobiphenyl: CH₃(CH₂)_n-1O-C₆H₄-COS-C₆H₄-C₆H₄-SOC-C₆H₄-O(CH₂)_n-1CH₃,n=1-7, has been synthesized and the thermotropic liquid-crystalline behaviour investigated. All compounds exhibit enantiotropic mesomorphism over a remarkable temperature range. While the mesophase thermal stability is moderately higher than that found for the corresponding oxygenated analogues, the smectic stability is definitely lower. In fact, all the compounds are nematic but smectic mesomorphism (S_C) is observed for n = 7. Compounds with n = 6 or 7 exhibit enantiotropic highly ordered smectic (or disordered crystal) phases, probably S_G in type.     

X-ray study of the nematic and smectic A phases of the cyano-substituted pyridines

We report an X-ray study of lamellar ordering in the nematic and smectic A phases of a homologous series of polar liquid crystals, the 2-(4-alkylphenyl)-5-cyanopyridines (nCP). Experiments were carried out using a diffractometer with a linear position sensitive detector. In the nematic and smectic A phases of the nCP and their mixtures with non-polar 4-n-butyl-4'-methoxyazoxybenzene two types of layering were found. One corresponds to the fluctuations of the smectic density wave with a monolayer wavevector q₁, and the other is due to the partial bilayer fluctuations with the incommensurate wavevector q₂ ≠ q₁/2. The temperature dependences of the X-ray scattering intensity and the longitudinal correlation length for both types of layering in the nematic phase are presented. The critical behaviour in the vicinity of the smectic A-nematic phase transition occurs for a fluctuation mode, either q₁ or q₂, depending on the position on the liquid crystal phase diagram. The influence of the molecular structure of cyano-substituted pyridines on the formation of layered structures of different types is also discussed.     

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.     

NMR study of molecular dynamics in a mixture of two polar liquid crystals (CBOOA and DOBCA)

A mixture containing 70 per cent 4-cyanobenzylidene-4'-n-octylaniline (CBOOA) and 30 per cent 4-n-dodeciloxybenzylidene-4'-cyanoaniline (DOBCA) has been studied by optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction and, primarily, by NMR spectroscopy. The smectic phase of the mixture is a partial bilayer smectic A phase (S_Ad), in which about one half of the molecules are associated in pairs through their polar cyano end groups. The molecular dynamics in the smectic A_d phase of the mixture was studied by proton spin-lattice relaxation. Self-diffusion and rotations/reorientations were found to be essential relaxation mechanisms while the contribution of the order director fluctuations seems to be very small in all frequency regions. The correlation times associated with the molecular rotational motion around the short molecular axis, τ_S, are of the order 10^-10 s and the ratio τ_S/τ_L ≈6.2. The translational diffusion coefficients D∥ are of the order 10^-11m²s^-1. The possible contribution to the relaxation rate of an additional relaxation mechanism associated with the dissociation and recombination of molecules in dimers within the smectic layers is also analysed.     

X-ray investigation of the nematic and reentrant nematic phases of N-[(4-n-octyloxybenzoyloxy)-salicilidene]-4'-cyanoaniline

We have performed an X-ray scattering study of the nematic-smectic A and reentrant nematic-smectic A phase transitions in N-[(4-n-octyloxybenzoyloxy)-salicilidene]-4'-cyanoaniline (OOBOSCA). A diffractometer with a linear position sensitive detector was used. The results show that the smectic phase in OOBOSCA is of the A_d type with an interlayer spacing incommensurate with the molecular length L; d ∽ 1·2L. In the reentrant nematic phase two types of fluctuation modes were found. One of them corresponds to the monolayer wavevector q₁ ∽ 2π/L, and the other is due to the partial bilayer fluctuations with the wavevector q₂ ∽ 0·8q₁. The temperature dependences of the interlayer spacing, X-ray scattering intensity and longitudinal correlation length for both types of layering in the reentrant nematic phase are presented. The change of the fluctuation regime from S_Ad, to S_Cd type with decreasing temperature in the reentrant nematic phase of OOBOSCA was found. The results are discussed on the basis of models with competing order parameters. The influence of alkyl chain flexibility on the stability of a partial bilayer smectic phase is also considered.     

The scope and limitations of liquid-crystalline behaviour in monosaccharide amphiphiles Comparison of the thermal behaviour of several homologous series of D-glucose derived compounds with an amino-linked alkyl chain

A short review of the scope and limitations of liquid-crystalline behaviour in carbohydrate derivatives is presented. In order to investigate the influence of structure variations on the thermal behaviour of monosaccharide amphiphiles, six homologous series of D-glucose and 2-deoxy-D-glucose derivatives with an aminolinked n-alkyl chain were prepared. The observed thermal behaviour could be readily explained with the aid of a refinement of the qualitative model that was presented earlier [1]. All compounds were found to be mesogenic, and the observed mesophase was smectic A_d (i.e. a partially overlapping bilayer structure) in all cases.     

Liquid-crystalline behaviour of some bis(4-alkyloxyphenyl) thiazolo [5,4-d] dithiazoles

The preparation of liquid-crystalline 2,5-bis(4-alkyloxyphenyl) thiazolo [5,4-d] dithiazoles (ATT_n), in which the alkyl group is C_nH_{2n + 1} (where n = 1 to 10, 12), has been described. Mesomorphic properties and phase transitions as determined by polarizing hot stage microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry are discussed as a function of the number of carbon atoms in the alkyloxy chain. The exhibition of tilted smectic phases (smectic C and smectic I) by these compounds is an interesting feature since there is no significant central dipole moment transverse to these molecules.     

Mesogenic Unsymmetric dimers containing cholesteryl ester and tolane moieties

Among unsymmetric oligomesogens, chiral dimers formed by connecting a cholesteryl ester fragment with various aromatic mesogenic cores through a polymethylene spacer have been attracting much attention due to their remarkable thermal behaviour. In particular, dimers containing a diphenylacetylene segment having an alkoxy chain have shown interesting mesomorphic behaviour. In view of this a new series of unsymmetric dimers consisting of a diphenylacetylene moiety having an alkyl chain and a cholesteryl ester unit joined through a paraffinic spacer have been synthesized and their liquid crystalline properties characterized. The lengths of the central methylene spacer (C₃, C₄, C₅ and C₇) as well as that of the alkyl chain (n-butyl, n-pentyl, n-hexyl and n-heptyl) have been varied to establish structure-property relationships. These investigations have revealed that all the dimers exhibit smectic A, twist grain boundary and chiral neamtic (N*) phases with the exception of one of the dimers for which only the N* phase was observed. Some differences in the mesomorphic properties of the unsymmetric dimers containing odd or even parity methylene spacers have been observed. The majority of dimers having an even (C₄) parity paraffinic spacer show a blue phase while the dimers with odd (C₃, C₅ and C₇) parity spacers exhibit the chiral smectic (SmC*) phase. In some cases, the SmC* phase exists well below (-60°C) and above room temperature.     

A convenient route to (+)-(9,11)-epithia-(11,12)-methano-thromboxane A2, from prostaglandin E2, methyl ester

(+)-(9,11)-Epithia-(11,12)-methano-thromboxane A₂ which is of great importance in thromboxane research, has been synthesized from prostaglandin E₂ methyl ester.