Synthesis and Mesomorphic Behavior of Calamitic Liquid Crystals with a Biphenyl Moiety

A new mesogenic homologous series having a biphenyl moiety has been synthesized by condensing 4-hydroxy-4′-nitrobiphenyl- and methoxy-substituted 4-n-alkoxy cinnamoyl chlorides, and their liquid crystalline properties have been studied. All the members of the series are enantiotropic liquid crystals. The methyl to n-pentyl derivatives exhibit both Smectic A (SmA) and Nematic (N) phases; the higher members, starting with the n-hexyl derivative show only a SmA phase. The plot of transition temperatures versus number of carbon atoms in the alkoxy chain exhibits zig-zag pattern for Sm-N and N-Isotropic (Iso) transition temperature curves. The average thermal stability is compared with other related homologous series. The introduction of polar nitro group increases significant intermolecular force of attraction which stabilizes the molecular orientation. This results into the increase in the thermal stability of the system.     

Synthesis and Mesomorphic Properties of New T- Shaped Dimesogens

Abstract

Several new T- shaped liquid crystalline dimesogenic compounds were synthesized and their LC properties were characterized. These T-shaped dimesogens consist of substituted fluorene and substituted biphenyl units connected by flexible spacer units of varying lengths. The compounds were characterized for their liquid crystallinity by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarizing microscopy. All the compounds were found to exhibit enantiotropic nematic phase.     

Synthesis and Mesomorphic Characteristics of Fluoroaniline Derivatives with Different Lateral Groups

Two new homologous series of liquid crystals viz. 4-(4'-n-alkoxybenzoyloxy)-2-chlorophenylazo-4”-fluorobenzenes(I) and 4-(4'-n-alkoxybenzoyloxy)-2-methylphenyl azo-4”-fluorobenzenes(II) with terminal fluoro, lateral chloro(I) and methyl(II) group and central ester and azo linkages are synthesized and their mesomorphic properties are studied. Both the series are similar in molecular structure with the difference in their lateral substitutions; series I has chloro group and series II has methyl group as laterally substituted groups. All the twelve homologues of each of the series are mesogenic in nature. Series I shows nematic mesophase from the first C₁ to the last C₁₆ derivative synthesized; smectic mesophase is exhibited by last two viz. C₁₄ and C₁₆ derivative, where as all the members from C₁ to C₁₆ of series II only show nematic mesophase. The nematic mesophase shows marble texture and the smectic mesophase shows Schlirene texture of the Smectic C variety. Both the series are compared with structurally related series.     

Synthesis and Mesomorphic Phase Behavior of Laterally Substituted Novel Azoesters

A novel homologous series of 4(4′-n-alkoxy benzoyloxy)phenylazo 2′′-chloro-3′′-methyl benzenes was synthesized and studied for mesophase behavior dependence on molecular structure. The nematogenic mesophase is exhibited from the first to the last member and the smectogenic mesophase from the hexyloxy to the tetradecyloxy member of the series. The nematic mesophase is of a threaded or Schlieren type, and the smectic mesophase is of a focal conic fan of the type A or C. Mesomorphic properties of the present novel homologous series are compared with other structurally similar homologous series.     

Mesomorphic study of novel chalconyl-ester-based nonisomeric series: Synthesis and characterization

Liquid-crystalline elastomers (LCEs) possess large and equilibrium reversible anisotropic dimensional change in response to applied stimuli. The deformation behavior demonstrated by current LCE materials under the stimuli are generally determined by their own geometries and the alignment distributions of liquid crystal (LC) units in the LCE matrices. Here we report a LCE whose synthesis was through a two-stage crosslinking coupled with a mechanical reshaping process, where the shape was mechanically reset before the final crosslinking. It demonstrated reversible memory and change between the initial geometries formed during the first crosslinking stage and any reshaped geometries under the stimuli. Its deformation is not influenced by the geometries and the alignment distributions of LC units in the LCE matrix. This characteristic in LCEs holds promise in a wide range of application researches requiring sophisticated functions and smart structures.     

Syntheses and Mesomorphic Properties of New Liquid Crystalline Materials Involving Piperazine Skeleton

Some mesogenic materials involving a piperazine skeleton were prepared and the thermal properties were examined by DSC and microscopic analyses. Although the piperazines have a thermal flexibility similar to cyclohexyl ring, a lateral interaction due to lone pair electrons of nitrogens largely enhances the thermal stability of the mesophase. The piperazine compounds tend to preserve a smectic arrangement.     

Synthesis and Mesomorphic Characterisation of Chiral Homologues

Abstract

Chiral liquid crystals have attracted considerable interest as they exhibit a good variety of modulated phases. We have synthesised a homologous series viz., 4-(4^!-n-alkoxy benzoyloxy) benzylidene-4^!!?1-(s)-methyl propoxy anilines, incorporating a terminal chiral centre, inorder to obtain better understanding of the relationship between molecular structure and appearance of SmC* phase in the molecules. It is observed that, in the present series the lower members upto butyl are pure nematogens, while pentyl to hexadecyl derivatives exhibit classical smectic as well as nematic mesophases. An additional smectic C* phase is observed in the middle octyl to dodecyl homologues. The homologues have been characterised by IR, NMR and DSC. Their mesomorphic properties have been compared with structurally related homologous series.     

Synthesis and Some Properties of Low Melting Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals of Benzylidene Anilines

A series of chiral benzylidene-aniline compounds, 4-alkoxybenzylidene 4′-(2-methylbutyloxycarbonyl)anilines, have been synthesized and their mesomorphic properties are examined. They showed a monotropic chiral smectic C phase in conjunction with enantiotropic smectic A phase, and their chiral smectic C—smectic A phase transition temperatures are around room temperatures. Their spontaneous polarization values are moderately higher than those of DOBAMBC “4-decyloxybenzylidene 4′-amino-(2-methylbutyl)cinnamate”.     

Synthesis and Mesomorphic Properties of New Columnar Liquid Crystal Containing 1,3,5-triiminebenzene with Pendant 1,3,4-thiadiazole Group

A novel discotic liquid crystal series based on 1,3,5-benzenetrisazomethine derivatives with three pendant 2-amino-5-(4′-n-alkoxy)phenyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole has been synthesized, which is the first columnar molecules containing 1,3,4-thiadiazole moiety exhibiting a discotic liquid crystal. The molecular structure of compounds was confirmed by FT-IR, ¹H-NMR, and mass spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The electron excitation properties of these compounds were investigated by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. Their liquid crystalline properties were studied by polarizing optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The formation of a columnar mesophase was found to be dependent on the number of methylene unit in alkoxy side chains.     

Mesomorphic Properties of New 5-Alkyl-2-Pyrimidinols Esters

Abstract

A synthesis of a number of 5-alkyl-2-pyrimidinol esters was conducted, their mesomorphic properties were examined. Two ring esters of said pyrimidinols are nonmesomorphic, while three ring esters are typical mesogens, forming nematic either nematic-smectic mesophases.     

Synthesis and Liquid Crystal Behavior of a Novel Ester Homologous Series

A novel ester homologous series of 4-[4’-n-alkoxy cinnamoyloxy] benzyl benzoates has been synthesized. The series consists of 12 homologues. Liquid crystal properties commence from the sixth member to the last member of the series with the exhibition of an enantiotropic nematic phase without the exhibition of any smectogenic mesophase. The remaining homologues do not exhibit liquid crystal behavior. The texture of the nematic phase is of the threaded or Schlieren type. The solid-nematic or isotropic transition curve adopts a zigzag path and the nematic-isotropic transition curve steeply rises and then falls in the phase diagram and behaves in normal manner. An odd–even effect is absent in the nematic-isotropic transition curve with an alteration of transition temperatures. The average thermal stability for the nematic mesophase is 153.1°C, and the nematogenic temperature ranges vary from 12°C to 50°C. Analytical data confirm the molecular structures of the homologues. The Liquid Crystal properties and transition temperatures were observed through an optical polarizing microscope, equipped with a heating stage. The mesomorphic characteristics of the novel ester series are compared with other, known and structurally similar series. The novel series is predominantly nematogenic with the absence of any smectogenic character, with relatively short mesophase temperature ranges and of the middle ordered melting type.     

Optical Characterization of Lyotropic Chromonic Liquid Crystals

We report the results of our studies on the optical and thermal properties of binary mixture of compounds, viz., Berberine (BBE) and Poly-ethylene glycol (PEG). The mixture shows very interesting coexistent biphasic regions N + I and N + C phases respectively at different concentrations of BBE sequentially when the specimen is cooled from its isotropic liquid phase. The temperature variations of optical anisotropy and optical textures have also been discussed. Formation of above molecular orientations has been confirmed by X-ray studies.     

The Synthesis of Fluorine Containing Phenyl Benzoates and Their Properties as Liquid Crystals

A new series of fluorine containing phenyl benzoates has been synthesized and the transition temperatures of these compounds have been determined. A series of 4-trifluoromethylphe 4nyl 4-n-alkybenzoates showed no liquid crystalline behaviour, but the 4-trifluoromethylphenyl 4-n-alkoxybenzoates series, with six carbons or more in alkoxy chain, was mesomorphic. The 4-cyanophenyl 4-perfluoroalkylbenzoates showed smectic liquid crystalline properties.     

Synthesis and Mesomorphic Properties of Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals with a Fluorinated Asymmetric Frame (1)

New ferroelectric liquid crystals with a fluorinated asymmetric frame were synthesized utilizing optically active S-(-)-2-fluoroalkanols prepared from R-(+)-1,2-epoxyalkanes with pyridinium poly(hydrogen fluoride), and their mesomorphic and physical properties (phase behavior, spontaneous polarization, response time) were studied. The biphenyl-phenyl derivatives of three-ring systems exhibited enantiotropic chiral smectic C phase in a broad temperature range (108°C-185°C). The phenyl benzoate of two-ring systems exhibited chiral smectic C phase at temperature relatively close to room temperature, and were found to possess the spontaneous polarization larger than 35 nC/cm².     

Synthesis and characterization of rigid rode shape homologous series: Effect of tail iodo group

Arylpiperazine derivatives referred in this article possessed antitumor activity, which were synthesized and crystallized through the gradual evaporation process. The molecular structures of 2-(4-(2-(4-phenylpiperazin-1-yl)ethyl)benzyl)isoindoline-1,3-dione (C27H27N3O2, 1), 2-(4-(2-(4-(4-bromophenyl)piperazin-1-yl)ethyl)benzyl)isoindoline-1,3-dione (C27H26BrN3O2, 2) and 2-(4-(2-(4-(4-chlorophenyl)piperazin-1-yl)ethyl)benzyl)isoindoline-1,3-dione (C27H26ClN3O2, 3) were determi-ned and described. π-π interactions were observed in the packing modes of three compounds, and compound 2 and 3 showed halogen interactions between molecules nearby, which were different from compound 1. The dihedral angle values, the bond lengths, bond angles and the parameters demonstrated that involvement of halogen atoms did affect the conformation, configuration and cell parameter of the compounds.     

Mesomorphic and Photoconducting Behavior of 2-(2-Hydroxy-4-alkoxybenzylideneamino)-9-methylcarbazoles

The mesomorphic properties of 2-(2-hydroxy-4-alkoxybenzylideneamino)-9-methyl-carbazoles were investigated and the photoconducting behavior of the crystalline, nematic and isotropic liquid phases were compared for the pentyloxy compound. It was found that the behavior in the nematic phase is comparable with that in the isotropic liquid phase, both being fluid, rather than that in the crystalline phase. The carrier transport mechanisms and the carrier species are implied to be ionic. The current-voltage characteristics showed a new behavior in the fluid states, being similar to that of the negative resistance.     

Synthesis and Mesogenic Properties of Liquid Crystals Based on Cholesterol and Cinnamic Acid Derivatives

A group of new mesomorphic compounds with cholesterol-based, which have derivative of the cinnamic acid, with different lengths of terminal alkoxy chains, are synthesized and characterized. The mesomorphic properties were investigated by DSC and POM. All target compounds showed a cholesteric phase. For 12-TC and 14-TC besides a cholesteric phase, also revealed a SmA* phase. The experimental results demonstrated that with the increase in the terminal chain lengths, the thermal stability of the smectic mesophases of these liquid crystals was increased, and these compounds shows brilliant color changes in the temperature ranges of cholesteric phase.     

The Electro-Optical Properties of Doping Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Liquids in Twisted Nematic Liquid Crystals

In this paper, doping liquid materials to enhance the electro-optical (EO) properties of twisted nematic liquid crystals (NLCs) was presented. Two polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) liquids, toluene and 1-methylnaphthalene, were chosen as dopants in order to lower the driving voltage and response time of the NLCs. We find that the main reason of this phenomenon is due to a large amount of reduction in the rotational viscosity of PAH liquids doped NLCs. Without the drawbacks of aggregation that the solid nanoparticles could have, the method of doping liquids provides a more reliable choice for applications in various LC display systems.     

Birefringence and Order Parameter of Some Alkyl and Alkoxycyanobiphenyl Liquid Crystals

The refractive indices and densities of six liquid crystals—two alkylcyanobiphenyls, three alkoxycyanobiphenyls and one mixture of two alkylcyanobiphenyls have been reported as a function of temperature. The effective polarizabilities α_eand α_o in the nematic phase calculated using the methods due to Neugebauer, Vuks and Saupe and Maier, are found to be appreciably different, though the order parameter S evaluated with those values of (α_e - α_o) are in good agreement. The preference of one method over the other two is discussed.     

The Dielectric Anomaly Near the Transition from the Smectic A* to Smectic C* Phase and Visco-Elastic Properties of Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals

A pyro-electric technique is developed which allows the measurement of the dielectric response near the A*-C* phase transition in ferroelectric liquid crystals. The temperature dependence of the elastic modulus K _θ(T) corresponding to the molecular tilt in smectic layers is calculated from the experimental data. Direct pyro-electric measurements of the relaxation time for the spontaneous polarization P _s and the data on K _θ(T) allow us to calculate the temperature behaviour of the twist-viscosity γ₁(T) for the smectic C* phase. The curves γ₁(T) are compared for the smectic C* and the nematic phase of the same compound and the dependence of the twist viscosity on the molecular tilt angle in the C* phase is investigated. The results of the dielectic measurements are discussed in terms of the mean-field approximation.