Adhesion and friction studies of Au nanoparticle‐textured surfaces with colloidal tips

Surface roughness plays an important role in affecting the adhesive force and friction force in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)/nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS). One effective approach of reducing adhesion and friction of contacting interfaces is to create textured surface, which is especially beneficial for MEMS'/NEMS' production yield and product reliability. In this article, we present a convenient method to fabricate the nano‐textured surfaces by self‐assembling Au nanoparticles (NPs) on the silicon (100) surfaces. The nanoparticle‐textured surfaces (NPTS) with different packing density and texture height were prepared by controlling the assembling time and the size of Au NPs. The morphologies and chemical states of NPTS were characterized by atomic force microscope (AFM), field emission scanning electron microscope, and XPS. The adhesion and friction on the NPTS were studied by AFM with colloidal tip. The results show that the nano‐textured surfaces have effectively reduced adhesive force and friction force compared with the 3‐aminopropyl trimethoxysilane self‐assembled monolayer surfaces. The lowered adhesion and friction were attributed to the reduced real area of contact between NPTS and colloidal tip. The adhesion and friction of the NPTS are varying with the texture packing density and dependent on both the texture height and asperities spacing, which are related to the size and coverage ratio of NPs on surfaces. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Adhesion curves between two viscoelastic materials by a point‐contact method in a crossed‐cylinder geometry

We investigated an evaluation method of adhesion between two cylindrical viscoelastic materials by a point contact in a crossed‐cylinder geometry. The shape of the adhesion curve obtained in this technique is characterized not only by the maximum adhesion force, F_A, but also by the adhesion force at complete separation, F_S. To clarify the factors that determine the characteristic properties of the adhesion curve, the adhesion forces of a highly crosslinked polydimethylsiloxane were measured as a function of the separation velocity. As a result, F_A and F_S strongly depended on the separation velocity. To understand the experimental results, a simulation of the separation behavior was carried out using the Generalized Maxwell model, which could qualitatively reproduce the experimental observations. From these results, we discussed the factors that determine the adhesion curve and clarified the uniqueness and advantages of this evaluation method. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 1778–1788, 2009     

Poly(bis‐2,2,2‐trifluoroethoxymethyl oxetane): Multiple crystal phases,crystallization‐induced surface topological complexity and enhanced hydrophobicity

Semicrystalline poly(bis‐trifluoroethoxymethyl)oxetane, P(B‐3FOx), was prepared by cationic ring‐opening polymerization at ?5 °C with M_n up to 21 kDa. Differences in cooling rates from the melt have substantial effects on crystal phase, percent crystallinity, surface topography, and wetting behavior. DSC and WAXD show that cooling from the melt at slow rates (<5 °C/min) gives α‐P(B‐3FOx) with ΔH_f = 22–27 J/g. Quenching from the melt results in β‐P(B‐3FOx) for which a mesophase structure is suggested. β‐P(B‐3FOx) melts at 53 °C followed by recrystallization to α‐P(B‐3FOx). Solution casting from THF results in third phase, γ‐P(B‐3FOx). TM‐AFM and SEM imaging for α‐P(B‐3FOx) showed that cold crystallization at 25 °C brought about increased crystallinity and surface topologies characterized by sharp asperities and lath‐shaped crystals. Spontaneous surface roughening of α‐P(B‐3FOx) results in a discontinuous three‐phase contact line with water and an increase in water sessile drop contact angle from 106° to 136°. The ～30° increase in water contact angle was attributed primarily to a topological change from a relatively smooth surface (Wenzel state) to an asperity‐rich surface yielding a discontinuous three‐phase contact line (composite of Wenzel and Cassie‐Baxter state). The oleophobicity for this polymer, which contains only a single ? CF₃ end group on each side chain, compares favorably with more highly fluorinated acrylates. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 1022–1034, 2010     

Surface mechanical properties of low‐molecular‐weight polystyrene below its glass‐transition temperatures

Lap shear and friction force measurements were carried out on a series of monodisperse polystyrene (PS) films below the corresponding glass‐transition temperatures. It showed that adhesion between the PS/PS interface was possible at the temperature below the bulk T_g, and the lower the molecular weight of PS, the lower the temperature at which the interfacial strength was detectable. The examination of a series of molecular weights indicated both the surface molecular motion and the magnitude of the interfacial strength were dependent on molecular weight and its distribution. And a steep increase of the friction force with increasing the test temperature was observed around 0 ∼ 30 °C. The contact angle of water versus molecular weight measurements also showed a transition at room temperature. The behavior observed in this study was supposed to be due to the increased molecular mobility, and was in good agreement with the measured surface transition temperatures by DSC. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 654–658, 2000     

The mechanics of contact and adhesion of periodically rough surfaces

An analytical model based on the Johnson–Kendall–Roberts (JKR) theory of adhesion was used to study the contact mechanics and adhesion of periodically rough surfaces. The relation of the applied load to the contact area and the work of adhesion W was found in closed form for arbitrary surface profiles. Our analysis showed that when the parameter [where α* is a numerical constant of order one, β is the aspect ratio of a typical surface profile (or asperity), and ρ is the number of asperities per unit length], the surfaces will jump into contact with each other with no applied load, and the contact area will continue to expand until the two surfaces are in full contact. The theory was then extended to the non‐JKR regime in which the region where the surface forces act is no longer confined to a small region near the contact zone. Exact solution was also obtained for this case. An exact analysis of the effect of entrapped air on the mechanics of adhesion and contact was also enacted. The results showed that interaction between asperities should be taken into consideration in contact‐mechanics models of adhesion or friction. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 39: 1195–1214, 2001     

Hydrophilic CO2‐based biodegradable polycarbonates: Synthesis and rapid thermo‐responsive behavior

Common CO₂‐based biodegradable polycarbonates like poly(propylene carbonate) or poly(cyclohexene carbonate) are generally hydrophobic, leading to slow biodegradation rate and poor cell adhesion, which limit their applications in the biomedical field. Here hydrophilic polycarbonates were prepared by one‐pot terpolymerization of CO₂, propylene oxide (PO), and 2‐((2‐(2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethoxy)methyl)oxirane (ME₃MO) using binary Salen Co(III)‐Cl/PPNCl catalyst system. The resultant terpolymers showed one glass transition temperature (T_g), which decreased with the increase of ME₃MO units in the terpolymers (F_ME3MO). Water contact angles of the resultant terpolymers with F_ME3MO of 4.2?23.6% were 68?25°, while that of poly(propylene carbonate) was 90°, indicating that the terpolymers became hydrophlilic. Furthermore, the terpolymers with F_ME3MO more than 25.8% exhibited reversible and rapid thermo‐responsive property in water, and the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) was highly sensitive to F_ME3MO. In particular, aqueous solution of the terpolymer with F_ME3MO of 72.6% showed a LCST around 35.2 °C, close to body temperature, which was promising for biomedical applications, especially for in vivo applications. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 2834–2840.     

Adhesion between Nanoscale Rough Surfaces

In this investigation, the adhesion between particles and plates with root-mean-square, rms, surface roughness of 0.17-10.5 nm was measured by atomic force microscopy. Measurements obtained with particles both larger and smaller than the surface asperities are presented. Results indicate adhesion force decreases sharply with increasing surface roughness in the nanometer scale (<2 nm), followed by a gradual and slow decrease with further increase in roughness. Existing models were found to significantly underestimate adhesion force. Hence, a new model based on a geometry that considers both the height and breadth of asperities yielding an increased asperity radius compared to previous approaches, as detailed in Part I of this series, is applied using both van der Waals and elastic deformation/work of adhesion based approaches. For the system studied in this investigation, the adhesion forces predicted by the proposed model are considerably more accurate than those predicted by past models. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

Evaluation of nanotribological behavior of amorphous polystyrene: The macromolecular weight effect

Tribological testing of polymers is of prime importance in many industrial applications. Silicon nitride AFM tips have been used to mimic the contact between amorphous polystyrene surfaces and a hard asperity, which is useful in understanding of how a multitude of asperities behave in a macroscopic contact. In this study, the adhesion force and the friction force of four PS molecular weights were measured and the average contact pressure was calculated by using the JKR contact theory. The nanotribological behavior of polystyrene showed a dependence on macromolecular weight with varying applied normal force and sliding velocity. The study indicates that the length of polymer chains noticeably influences the tribological behavior of amorphous polystyrenes. Mechanisms governing such behavior differences were ascribed to energy dissipating modes.     

Wear and friction in glassy polymers: Microscratch on blends of polystyrene and poly (2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide)

The microscopic process of abrasive wear and friction in glassy polymers was studied by using a special microscratch technique. A miscible blend of polystyrene (PS) and poly(phenylene oxide) (PPO) was used. It was found that as the composition varies there seems to exist two wear regimes in the blends controlled by different breakdown mechanisms corresponding to the brittle—ductile transition. Detailed study of the contact loads and SEM micrographs indicate that abrasive wear in the glassy polymers is controlled by microcracking under the asperity contacts. The critical load τ_c for initiating microscopic cracks can be linked to the macroscopic wear via a statistical Weibull model where τ_c is taken to be the mean of a strength distribution function. On the other hand, the friction coefficient was found to be independent of the composition but to vary strongly with the contact load. It approaches zero at the extrapolated zero load, but increases rapidly and eventually levels off with contact load. This behavior can be understood by a simple frictional adhesion model in which the polymer deformation during a frictional contact is analyzed by considering the compressive plastic ploughing and shearing yielding around the asperity contact. The shear strength S_o of the polymer/asperity contacts was found to vary with the normal load. The vertical scratch hardness H_v, which characterizes the spontaneous indentation yielding on the polymer surface, was found to be independent of scratch length and depth, and indeed can be regarded as a material constant. Although both S_o and H_v can accurately describe the frictional behavior of the glassy polymers, they bear no correlation to abrasive wear in the same materials. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 35 : 1295–1309, 1997     

Multiasperity contact adhesion model for universal asperity height and radius of curvature distributions

A new approach to the multiasperities contact interaction between two surfaces is presented. Each asperity is individually considered with its own different height and radius of curvature. Different materials, such as polyvinylchlorine (PVC) and stainless steel, are used as model systems. For each of the model materials, a set of asperities was generated using Monte Carlo method. Both asperity heights and radii were based on their statistical distributions experimentally obtained. Contact forces were determined for each asperity at a given distance between the two surfaces, while the deformation of each asperity was calculated according to the Johnson-Kendall-Roberts (JKR) or the Derjaguin-Muller-Toporov (DMT) model (depending on the material). The contribution of each asperity to the overall surface was summed, and the overall contact force was determined. The developed method was validated against contact force measurements obtained with atomic force microscopy (AFM).     

Selective Synthesis of Single‐ and Multi‐Walled Supramolecular Nanotubes by Using Solvophobic/Solvophilic Controls: Stepwise Radial Growth via “Coil‐on‐Tube” Intermediates

Novel hexa‐peri‐hexabenzocoronene (HBC) derivatives, ^FHBC and ^FHBC*, which carry perfluoroalkyl segments on one side of the HBC core and long alkyl tails on the other, were synthesized. Their perfluoroalkyl segments are highly solvated in C₆F₆ (solvophilic effect) and do not assemble, whereas in CH₂Cl₂, they are excluded (solvophobic effect) and assemble together consequently. For example, the use of C₆F₆ and CH₂Cl₂ as assembling media for ^FHBC leads to the selective formation of single‐ and multi‐walled nanotubes, respectively. When a higher monomer concentration is applied in CH₂Cl₂, multi‐walled nanotubes with a larger number of walls result. ^FHBC in CH₂Cl₂ self‐assembles rather slowly, thereby allowing for the observation of coil‐on‐tube structures, which are possible intermediates for the stepwise radial growth of the nanotubular wall. Casting of the multi‐walled nanotubes onto a quartz plate yields a superhydrophobic thin film with a water contact angle of 161±2°.     

Halogen bonds on demand: I...S contacts in cocrystals of trans‐bis(thiocyanato‐κN)tetrakis(4‐vinylpyridine‐κN)nickel(II) and 2,3,5,6‐tetrafluoro‐1,4‐diiodobenzene

Hydrogen bonds are considered a powerful organizing force in designing supramolecular architectures because they are directional, selective and reversible at room temperature. trans‐Dithiocyanatotetrakis(4‐vinylpyridine)nickel(II) is a popular host for the inclusion of small molecules and 2,3,5,6‐tetrafluoro‐1,4‐diiodobenzene (TFDIB) represents a strong halogen‐bond donor. These constituents cocrystallize in a 1:1 stoichiometry, [Ni(NCS)₂(C₇H₇N)₄]·C₆F₄I₂, in the tetragonal space group I4₁/a. Both residues occupy special positions, i.e. the pseudo‐octahedral Ni^II complex is located on a twofold axis and the TFDIB molecule sits about a crystallographic centre of inversion. The components interact via a short S...I contact of 3.2891 (12) Å between the thiocyanate S atom of the host and the iodine substituent at the perhalogenated aromatic ring of the smaller guest molecule. This interaction meets the commonly accepted criteria for a halogen bond. Such halogen bonds to sulfur are significantly less common than to smaller electronegative atoms.     

Estimation of the Molecular Component of the Friction Force between Fibers in Surfactant Solutions

The molecular component F ₀ of the friction force (by Derjaguin) between fibers in solutions of cationic surfactants–tetrabutylammonium iodide and poly(ethylene imine)—was estimated from adhesion forces and the friction coefficient measured in point contacts between individual fibers. The nonmonotonic character of the dependence of F ₀ on the surfactant concentration was explained on the basis of a comparison of these data with experimental data on the potential and the adsorption.     

Effect of contact geometry on the pull-off force evaluated under high-vacuum and humid atmospheric conditions

The effect of condensed water on pull-off forces under high vacuum (HV) and 0 to 83% relative humidity (RH) N2 atmospheric conditions was evaluated for different contact geometries using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The pull-off force was measured using two types of contact geometry: contact between hemispherical asperities and a flat silicon probe on an AFM cantilever (called a spherical-flat contact) and between a flat silicon substrate and a flat nickel probe on an AFM cantilever (called a flat-flat contact). The hemispherical asperities were fabricated using a focused ion beam (FIB) system, and each peak had a radius of curvature of between 70 and 610 nm. The flat nickel probe was fabricated by friction-induced wear. Measurement results showed that for the spherical-flat contact the pull-off force was proportional to the radius of curvature of the asperity peak and was slightly lower in HV than in humid 14% RH N2. For the flat-flat contact in HV, with increasing contact time, the pull-off force increased in HV but decreased in humid 62 and 83% RH N2. The pull-off force in HV was lower than that in humid N2 when the contact time was less than 10 s but was higher when the contact time was longer than 30 s. The estimated adhesion force based on the Laplace pressure from the contact geometry agreed reasonably well with the measured pull-off force.     

trans‐Bis[1‐benzyl‐3‐(2,3,4,5,6‐penta­fluoro­benz­yl)benzimidazol‐2‐yl­idene]­dibromo­palladium(II)

The title compound, [PdBr₂(C₂₁H₁₃F₅N₂)₂], crystallizes with two independent centrosymmetric conformational isomers having a square‐planar coordination at the Pd atom. The conformational isomers differ by the ligands having a cis or trans orientation of their benzyl and pentafluorobenzyl rings with respect to the benzimidazole ring plane. The benzimidazole rings are rotated with respect to the coordination plane of the metal by 79.1 (2) and 75.2 (1)° for mol­ecules A and B, respectively. The Pd—Br bond lengths are 2.4218 (8) and 2.4407 (10) Å for mol­ecules A and B, respectively, and the Pd—C bond lengths are 2.030 (8) and 2.018 (9) Å. The crystal structure contains two types of C—H⋯F and one type of C—H⋯Br intra­molecular contact, as well as C—H⋯π inter­actions.     

Copolymerization of norbornene with ω‐alkenylaluminum as a precursor comonomer for introduction of carbonyl moieties

Norbornene copolymers functionalized with methyl ester group or carboxy group are facilely synthesized by the copolymerization of norbornene and 7‐octenyldiisobutylaluminum (ODIBA) with ansa‐dimethylsilylene(fluorenyl)(t‐butylamido)dimethyltitanium ( 1 ) activated by Ph₃CB(C₆F₅)₄, and the sequential CO₂/methanolysis reactions or CO₂/hydrolysis reactions, respectively. The methanolysis and the hydrolysis are simply switched by engaging acidic methanol or acidic aqueous acetone as the quenching/washing solution, respectively. Meanwhile, the increase of ODIBA in the copolymerization abruptly decreases the yield and number–average molecular weight (M_n) of the product. However, the addition of triisobutylaluminum (8 mM) and the use of excess Ph₃CB(C₆F₅)₄ (twofold of 0.4 mM of 1 ) significantly increase the yield, accompanying the increase in the M_n and the narrowing of the molecular weight distribution (M_w/M_n), especially in the case of the use of excess Ph₃CB(C₆F₅)₄. The yield (g polymer/g monomers), M_n, and M_w/M_n reach up to 0.82, 341,000, and 1.46, respectively, at a copolymerization condition. The carboxy groups in the norbornene copolymers are controlled in the range of 0–1.8 mol % in high polymer yields with high M_n and narrow M_w/M_n accompanied by the decrease in the contact angle with water from 104° to 89°. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013 , 51, 5085–5090     

Synthesis,Characterization and Explosive Properties of 1,3‐Dimethyl‐5‐amino‐1H‐tetrazolium 5‐Nitrotetrazolate

1,3‐Dimethyl‐5‐amino‐1H‐tetrazolium 5‐nitrotetrazolate ( 5b ) was synthesized in high yield from 1,4‐dimethyl‐5‐amino‐1H‐tetrazolium iodide ( 5a ) and silver 5‐nitrotetrazolate. Both new compounds ( 5a and 5b ) were characterized using vibrational (IR and Raman) and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy (¹H, ¹³C and ¹⁵N), elemental analysis and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. 5a crystallizes in an orthorhombic cell: Pbca, a = 11.5016(4), b = 13.7744(5), c = 13.7744(5) Å, V = 1638.2(1) ų, Z = 8, ρ = 1.955 g cm^?3, R₁ = 0.0210 (F > 4σ(F)), wR₂ (all data) = 0.0542; whereas 5b crystallizes in a monoclinic cell: C1c, a = 14.5228(8), b = 5.0347(2), c = 13.7217(7) Å, β = 112.11(1)°, V = 929.6(2) ų, Z = 4, ρ = 1.630 g cm^?3, R₁ = 0.0279 (F > 4σ(F)), wR₂ (all data) = 0.0585. The sensitivity of 5b to classical stimuli was determined by using standard BAM tests and its thermal stability was assessed by DSC measurements. In addition, its heat of combustion was determined by bomb calorimetry measurements. The EXPLO5 was used to calculate the detonation pressure (P) and velocity (D) of 5b (P = 13.3 GPa and D = 6379 m s^?1), as well as those of its mixtures with ammonium nitrate (P = 23.2 GPa and D = 7862 m s^?1) and ammonium dinitramide (P = 29.6 GPa and D = 8594 m s^?1). Compound 5b is a hydrolytically stable solid with a high melting point (160 °C) and thermally stable to 190 °C with a very low sensitivity to friction (>360 N) and impact (>30 J) and good performance in combination with an oxidizer making it of interest in new environmentally friendly, insensitive explosive formulations.     

Preparation of a variety of fluoroalkyl end‐capped N‐(1,1‐dimethyl‐3‐oxobutyl)acrylamide oligomer/silica nanocomposites possessing no weight loss characteristic at 800°C

A variety of fluoroalkyl end‐capped N‐(1,1‐dimethyl‐3‐oxobutyl)acrylamide oligomer [R_F‐(DOBAA)_n‐ R_F]/silica nanocomposites, in which the oligomer contents are 18–96%, were prepared by reactions of the corresponding fluorinated oligomer with tetraethoxysilane and silica nanoparticles under alkaline conditions. Each fluorinated oligomer/silica composite thus obtained is nanometer size‐controlled very fine particles (22–68 nm) possessing a good dispersibility and stability in a variety of solvents including water. Interestingly, the weight loss of R_F‐(DOBAA)_n‐R_F/silica nanocomposites, in which the oligomer contents are 18–72%, were not observed at all even at 800°C, as well as the original silica nanoparticles, although the corresponding sub‐micrometer size‐controlled R_F‐ (DOBAA)_n‐R_F/silica composites (particle size: 359 nm) decomposed completely at 800°C to afford the weight loss in proportion to the content of R_F‐(DOBAA)_n‐R_F oligomer in composites. On the other hand, a slight weight loss of R_F‐(DOBAA)_n‐R_F/silica nanocomposites, in which the oligomer contents are 75–94%, was observed at 800°C compared to that of the original silica nanoparticles. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A structural systematic study of four isomers of difluoro‐N‐(3‐pyridyl)benzamide

The four isomers 2,4‐, (I), 2,5‐, (II), 3,4‐, (III), and 3,5‐difluoro‐N‐(3‐pyridyl)benzamide, (IV), all with formula C₁₂H₈F₂N₂O, display molecular similarity, with interplanar angles between the C₆/C₅N rings ranging from 2.94 (11)° in (IV) to 4.48 (18)° in (I), although the amide group is twisted from either plane by 18.0 (2)–27.3 (3)°. Compounds (I) and (II) are isostructural but are not isomorphous. Intermolecular N—H...O=C interactions form one‐dimensional C(4) chains along [010]. The only other significant interaction is C—H...F. The pyridyl (py) N atom does not participate in hydrogen bonding; the closest H...N_py contact is 2.71 Å in (I) and 2.69 Å in (II). Packing of pairs of one‐dimensional chains in a herring‐bone fashion occurs viaπ‐stacking interactions. Compounds (III) and (IV) are essentially isomorphous (their a and b unit‐cell lengths differ by 9%, due mainly to 3,4‐F₂ and 3,5‐F₂ substitution patterns in the arene ring) and are quasi‐isostructural. In (III), benzene rotational disorder is present, with the meta F atom occupying both 3‐ and 5‐F positions with site occupancies of 0.809 (4) and 0.191 (4), respectively. The N—H...N_py intermolecular interactions dominate as C(5) chains in tandem with C—H...N_py interactions. C—H...O=C interactions form R₂²(8) rings about inversion centres, and there are π–π stacks about inversion centres, all combining to form a three‐dimensional network. By contrast, (IV) has no strong hydrogen bonds; the N—H...N_py interaction is 0.3 Å longer than in (III). The carbonyl O atom participates only in weak interactions and is surrounded in a square‐pyramidal contact geometry with two intramolecular and three intermolecular C—H...O=C interactions. Compounds (III) and (IV) are interesting examples of two isomers with similar unit‐cell parameters and gross packing but which display quite different intermolecular interactions at the primary level due to subtle packing differences at the atom/group/ring level arising from differences in the peripheral ring‐substitution patterns.     

Three different fluoro‐ or chloro‐substituted 1′‐deoxy‐1′‐phenyl‐β‐D‐ribofuranoses

Crystal structures are reported for three fluoro‐ or chloro‐substituted 1′‐deoxy‐1′‐phenyl‐β‐D‐ribofuranoses, namely 1′‐deoxy‐1′‐(2,4,5‐trifluorophenyl)‐β‐D‐ribofuranose, C₁₁H₁₁F₃O₄, (I), 1′‐deoxy‐1′‐(2,4,6‐trifluorophenyl)‐β‐D‐ribofuranose, C₁₁H₁₁F₃O₄, (II), and 1′‐(4‐chlorophenyl)‐1′‐deoxy‐β‐D‐ribofuranose, C₁₁H₁₃ClO₄, (III). The five‐membered furanose ring of the three compounds has a conformation between a C2′‐endo,C3′‐exo twist and a C2′‐endo envelope. The ribofuranose groups of (I) and (III) are connected by intermolecular O—H...O hydrogen bonds to six symmetry‐related molecules to form double layers, while the ribofuranose group of (II) is connected by O—H...O hydrogen bonds to four symmetry‐related molecules to form single layers. The O...O contact distance of the O—H...O hydrogen bonds ranges from 2.7172 (15) to 2.8895 (19) Å. Neighbouring double layers of (I) are connected by a very weak intermolecular C—F...π contact. The layers of (II) are connected by one C—H...O and two C—H...F contacts, while the double layers of (III) are connected by a C—H...Cl contact. The conformations of the molecules are compared with those of seven related molecules. The orientation of the benzene ring is coplanar with the H—C1′ bond or bisecting the H—C1′—C2′ angle, or intermediate between these positions. The orientation of the benzene ring is independent of the substitution pattern of the ring and depends mainly on crystal‐packing effects.