The Metabolemeter II-Detection of Mesogenic Polymorphism under Pressure Using Small Quantities

Every first order phase transition for mesogens can be detected by the continuous recording, as a function of temperature, of the pressure of the sample enclosed in a metallic cell. Studies of a compound (octylcyanobiphenyl) exibiting several transformations (crystal-smectic A, smectic A-nematic, nematic-liquid) show that this barometric method is convenient to detect polymorphism from one thermobarogram, and to draw the Clapeyron phase diagram; the smectic A-nematic transition involving small enthalpy and volume changes is clearly observable and this method is very sensitive. Moreover, the enthalpies and volumes of transition can be deduced from the pressure changes. Lastly, pressure and temperature are intensive data, and very little sample (1.3 mm³) may be used.     

Investigation of the Cholesteryl Oleate Mesophases by X-Ray Diffraction

The following phase transitions occurring in the cholesteryl oleate were investigated by X-ray diffraction: solid-isotropic liquid, isotropic liquid-cholesteric, cholesteric-smectic.

The sample purity was 98%. Strong pretransitional effects were observed at the solid-isotropic liquid phase transition and at the cholesteric-smectic phase transition.

At this last transition the longitudinal coherence length ξ_∥ appears to diverge as the critical temperature is approached in the cholesteric phase, whereas the transversal coherence length ξ_τ increases at the critical temperature in the smectic phase in an abrupt way. It seems from the temperature dependence analysis of the angular position of the low angle peak that the smectic phase is a smectic A phase and that a progressive melting of chains occurs at the temperature increases.     

Phase Transition Studies of the Liquid Crystal Pentyloxybenzylidene Phenylazoaniline

Phase transition studies of the liquid crystal pentyloxybenzylidene phenylazoaniline are investigated with density and ultrasonic velocity measurements. The density variation with temperature confirms that the isotropic liquid-nematic, nematic-smectic A and smectic A-smectic B transitions are of first order. The temperature variation of ultrasonic velocity confirms all the phase transitions. The adiabatic compressibility (β_ad), Rao number (R_n) and Molar compressibility (B) are estimated from density and ultrasonic velocity.     

The Metabolemeter III: Phase Behaviour Under Pressure of bis-(4-4′-n-Heptyloxybenzylidene)- 1, 4-Phenylenediamine and Terephthalylidene-bis-(4-n-Decylaniline)

By using a metabolemeter, the phase transitions of bis-[4, 4′-n-heptyloxybenzylidene]-1, 4 phenylenediamine (HBPD) and terephthalylidene-bis-[4-n-decylaniline] (TBDA) have been studied. The weakly first order phase transitions (S_G-S_F and S_F-S_I) and the narrowly separated phase transitions (S_C-S_A and S_A-I) of TBDA are detectable. For HBPD, both transitions S_G-S_I and S_I-S_C are individually observed and the enthalpy changes are deduced from pressure increments at the tranformations: two triple points are detected, one directly by a change of slope in the drawing of the equilibrium curves. The pressure-temperature phase diagrams are given; for each transiton, the volume increases on increasing the temperture.     

Pitch Behavior of the Cholesteric Helix at the Phase Transition Point Cholesteric/Smectic A up to 2500 Bars. Study of Some Cholesteryl n-Alkanoates

Experimental evidence is given, for the first time, for a finite pitch of the cholesteric helix at the phase transition point cholesteric/smectic A (Ch/S_A). This finite pitch changes into an infinite one at a given point on the phase equilibrium line Ch/S_A. Therefore this point is called the pitch infinity point (PIP).

With increasing n-alkyl chain length of the investigated cholesteryl n-alkanoates the pressure coordinate of the PIP is shifted to higher values up to a chain length of 13 C atoms. For the alkanoates with 13,15 and 17 C atoms the same PIP pressure of about 1000 bars was determined.

The Ch/S_A phase equilibrium line of the cholesteryl esters could at best be followed up to 2600 bars. The respective transition enthalpies were measured at normal pressure and the corresponding changes in volume calculated by means of the Clausius-Clapeyron equation.     

Unusual Glassy Smectic-G Liquid Crystal: Heat Capacity of N-p-n-Pentyloxybenzylidene-p'-n-butylaniline between 11 and 393 K

Abstract

The heat capacities of the title compound (C₃H₁₁,O—C₆H₄,- CH=N—C₆H₄,—C₄H₉, abbreviation 5O ? 4) with a purity of 99.92 mole percent have been measured with an adiabatic-type calorimeter between 11 and 393 K. The transition temperature and the enthalpy and entropy of phase transition for stable crystal → S_G, S_G → N and N → isotropic liquid were T _c = 299.69 K/ΔH = 22.68 kJ mol^?1/ΔS = 75.70 JK^?1 mol^?1, 325.72/7.11/21.79 and 342.48/1.78/5.22, respectively. The crystal which melts at 285.5 K is a metastable modification. The S_A phase hitherto reported in between S_G and N does not exist. The glassy So state was realized by rapid cooling of the specimen from the So phase. The molar enthalpy of the glassy S_G state at 0 K was by (10.1±0.1) kJ mol^?1 higher than that of the stable crystalline state and the residual entropy of the glassy state was (9.40±0.83) JK^?1 mol^?1. The relaxational heat-capacity anomaly was observed from as low as 100 K and double glass transition phenomenon occurred around 200 K; a quite unusual phenomenon which has never been observed for the glassy states of nematic and cholesteric liquid crystals. The present results give a fair evidence that the unusual glass transition phenomenon previously found for the S_G state of 6O?4 (a homologous compound) is not exceptional at all but common to the smectic glasses; at least common to the glassy S_G states. Two possible origins responsible for the double glass transitions have been discussed.     

Phase Transition and Phase Diagram of Anion Radical Salts of [(C6H5)3PCH3]+ [(C6H5)3AsCH3]+ ×(TCNO)− 2 (0 ≤×≤ 1)

Abstract

Much attention has been paid to the solid anion radical salts of 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ), because of their prominent electronic properties.^1–4 In particular, the salts containing mixed cations represented by [(C₆H₅)₃PCH₃]⁺ _1–x [(C₆H₅)₃AsCH₃]⁺ _× (TCNQ)^? ₂, (0 ≤×≤ 1), are known to undergo phase transitions at 1 atm pressure in the solid state.^1–4 The phase transition of pure methyltriphenylphosphonium salt, (x = 0.00), takes place at 315.7 K. Heat-capacity measurements of this phase transition have been made by Kosaki et al. ³ The transition has thus been found to be of the first order. The enthalpy and the total entropy change associated with the phase transition were experimentally determined to be 485.18 cal/mol and 1.7206 cal/deg.mol, respectively. For the solid solutions, it was found that the transition temperature (T_c ) is increased, while the magnitude of the heat of transition (δH) is decreased, progressively with an increase in the composition parameter (x) and that pure methyltriphenylarsonium salt, (x = 1.00), has no such phase transition up to the decomposition temperature of about 480 K at 1 atm pressure.^1–3 Figure 1 shows the experimental relation between T _c and x, together with the relation between δH and x.⁴ In the present paper, we attempted to explain thermodynamically the phase diagram of Figure 1 for the solid solutions of those TCNQ anion radical salts.     

An optical microscopy study of the biaxial ‐ calamitic nematic lyotropic phase transition

Lyotropic nematic textures are investigated, using optical microscopy, near the reentrant isotropic (I_RE) ‐ discotic nematic (N_D^‐) ‐ biaxial nematic (N_B) ‐ calamitic nematic (N_C⁺) ‐ isotropic (I) phase transitions in a lyotropic mixture of potassium laurate, decanol and D₂O. The N_B, intermediate phase between the two uniaxial nematic ones, is characterized by optical birefringence measurements. In this way, using a polarizing microscope and a colour CCD digital camera, the N_B – N_C⁺ phase transition is identified as well as the domain of the N_B phase and N_D^‐ – N_B transition point in accordance with optical birefringence data (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Change of the Prenematic Order in the Isotropic Phase Close to the Isotropic–Nematic Phase Transition with Increasing Aerosil Nanoparticles Density

The influence of the hydrophilic and hydrophobic aerosil nanoparticles density on the formation of the prenematic order close to the isotropic – nematic (I–N) phase transition is presented. The lowering of the activation energy, with the increase of aerosil nanoparticles density, suggests a change of the prenematic order in the isotropic phase. The temperature dependence of the static dielectric permittivity for 4–n–pentyl–4′–cyanobiphenyl (5CB) exhibits an anomaly near the I–N phase transition. With the increase of aerosil density, a substantial modification in the anomaly of the static permittivity was observed in the isotropic phase. Indicated changes are different for hydrophilic and hydrophobic aerosil as a result of different surface interaction between nematic molecules and aerosil nanoparticles.     

Headgroup Mobility in the Low Temperature Phase (Lσ′) of DPPC

The ¹H decoupled Phosphorus NMR lineshape of DPPC-water dispersions shows characteristic changes when passing through the three thermotropic phase transitions: subtransition (Lσ′ - Lβ′), pretransition (Lβ′ - Pβ′) and main transition (Pβ -Lα). At the subtransition the spectrum changes from a non-axial-symmetric powder spectrum (Lσ′) to an axial-symmetric one (Lβ′). The two higher phase transitions are characterized by decreases in the intrinsic ³¹P line widths and the chemical shift anisotropy.

Proton-enhanced ¹³C-spectra of the same compound, with natural isotope abundance, recorded at 76 MHz permit the resolved observation of different carbon-positions in the headgroup. In particular the N-(CH₃)₃-carbon nuclei exhibit a narrow isotropic lineshape throughout the entire observed temperature range (-20°C … 50°C). This implies that rotational motion in this moiety does not cease below the subtransition.

To summarize, the headgroup mobility in the Lσ'-phase can be described as follows: The rotation of the entire choline group about the chemical bonds between the phosphate group and the glycerol-backbone is slow on the ³¹P-NMR timescale, the N-(CH₃)₃ end of the choline moiety, however, still undergoes rapid rotational motion. This picture is in accordance with recent interpretations of our ‘H-NMR second moment analysis.     

Density Measurements in cholesteryl Myristate

Abstract

The densities of cholesteryl myristate were measured in the smectic, cholesteric, blue and isotropic phase. At the transitions smectic/cholesteric and bluelisotropic within the temperature interval of 0.01 to 0.02°K discontinuities in the density curves occured. which indicate phase transitions of first order. At the transition cholesteric/blue only a change in the expansion coefficients was observed. which points to a phase transition of second order.

Die Dichten von Cholesterylmyristinat wurden in der smektischen, cholesterinischen, blauen und isotropen Phase gemessen. An den Umwandlungen smektisch/cholesterinisch und blau/isotrop treten innerhalb eines Temperdturintervah von 0,O1 bis 0.02°K Diskontinuitäten in den Dichtekurven auf. welche Phasenumwandlungen 1. Ordnung anzeigen. An der Umwandlung cholesterinisch/blau ist nur eine änderung in den Ausdehnungskoeffizienten vorhanden, welche auf eine Phasenumwandlung 2. Ordnung hinweist.     

Phase Diagram Behaviors for Rod/Plate Liquid Crystal Mixtures

We present a simple theory of rod/plate liquid-crystal mixtures in which the angle-dependent pair interactions are assumed to be of second-rank form. Calculations are reported for varying relative anisotropies of the “rods” and “plates”. Temperature vs. mole-fraction phase diagrams show successive isotropic (I) → uniaxial ( U) and U → biaxial ( B) transitions which are first- and second-order, respectively. For each pair of species there exists a special composition ( x _rod*) for which cooling of the isotropic phase leads directly (and continuously) to a biaxial liquid. As X _rod approaches X _rod* from either side, the first-orderness of the I → U transition (i.e. discontinuities in volume, order parameter, etc.) becomes vanishingly small. Furthermore the transition temperature of the rod-(plate-) solvent is found to be depressed when “doped” by not-too-anisotropic plates (rods) and elevated when doped by sufficiently anisotropic plates (rods). These behaviors are explained in terms of simple excluded volume considerations and compared with recent experimental data on rod/plate mixtures.     

The Behaviour of Contact Angles of Wetting for Liquid Crystalline Drops on Glass Near the Phase Transition

The experimental values of contact angles of wetting for pazoxyanisole - glass in the nematic and isotropic phase have been obtained. At the point the phase transition, a change in the value of contact angle of wetting is observed. The values of adhesion energy, have been calculated for different orientation of molecules with respect to the glass support.

It is well-known /I/that contact angles of drops on solid supports enable an information on interfacial energy γ_SL to be obtained. A change in the structure of liquid results in alteretion of the contact angle as it a has been shown recently for polymer solutions /2/. It seem to be quite possible that orientational ordering of liquid crystals has to affect the value of contact angles of wetting. Nevertheless, this value was not found to very upon phase transition from the isotropic to liquid crystalline state /3/.

We studied the behaviour of contact angle of wetting for a drop of a classical liquid crystalline compound p-azoxyanisole (PAA) in its nematic and isotropic phases.     

Phase Transition and Structure Change of Urea Adducts with n-Paraffins and Paraffin-type Compounds

The phase transition temperatures of urea adducts with many n-paraffins and several paraffin-type compounds were measured by differential thermal analysis and the general structure change causing the phase transitions was revealed by X-ray structure analysis. The ordinary hexagonal adducts (high-temperature form) transform commonly into orthorhombic adducts (low-temperature form) except for a few adducts with guest molecules possessing cylindrical shapes. The phase transition can be regarded as an order-disorder transition with respect to the orientation of the guest molecules about the urea channel axis with a cooperative deformation of the urea channels resulting in the orderly orientation of guest molecules below the transition temperatures. The changes in orientation and motion of the guest molecules through the phase transitions are discussed on the basis of X-ray analysis, potential energy and broad-line NMR.     

Behaviour of Ultrasonic Velocity in Cholesteric Liquid Crystals

Ultrasonic velocities (V) have been determined, employing a fixed path double crystal interferometer, in three cholesteric liquid crystals, namely cholesteryl propionate, cholesteryl laurate and cholesteryl myristate in their isotropic and anisotropic phases including the region of the phase transition. The variation of specific volume (v) is also studied in the same temperature range by a special dilatometer constructed for this purpose. Anomalous behaviour of ultrasonic velocity is observed near the isotropic-cholesteric phase transition in all three compounds. In the two polymesomorphic liquid crystals, namely cholesteryl laurate and cholesteryl myristate, contrary to the ultrasonic behaviour of cholesteryl stearate, prominent velocity dips are observed at cholesteric-smectic transition temperatures. The parameters adiabatic compressibility (β_ad) and molar sound velocity (R) are estimated and they are found to exhibit sudden jumps at cholesteric-smectic and isotropic-cholesteric transitions. The thermal expansion and temperature co-efficient of compressibility are found to show abnormal increase near the phase transition indicating the existence of large-magnitude pre-transitional effects near the phase transition. A comparative study of the ultrasonic behaviour of six aliphatic esters of cholesterol has shown that the magnitude of the velocity dip observed at the isotropic-cholesteric transition increased with increase of molecular weight and only cholesteryl acetate shows deviation.     

Investigation of the structure and mechanisms of thermal motion in nanostructured undecylenic acid

Abstract

We have compared the structure, phase transitions and the thermal motion mechanisms of the undecylenic acid in bulk and inside a porous matrix using powder X-ray diffraction, calorimetry and IR-spectroscopy methods. The matrix used was a porous silicon with cylindrical pores (D?=?20?nm). The interaction between the walls of the porous silicon and the nanocrystals of the undecylenic acid results in a crystalline structure, which is significantly different from the structure of bulk undecylenic acid. A phase transition in the wall-adjacent layer of the undecylenic acid nanocrystals was shown to take place. The solid-state phase transition temperatures, as well as the melting point, were shown to be lower for nanocrystals. Topological soliton motion mechanism was suggested to explain the thermal motion of the undecylenic acid molecules in the rotator phase.     

Heat Capacity and Thermodynamic Properties of p'-Substituted p-n-Hexyloxybenzylideneaniline I I I. p-n-Hexyloxybenzyl ideneam i no-p'-fluorobenzene (HBAF)

Abstract

The heat capacity of HBAF has been measured between 15 K and 385 K. Four phase transitions were found at 328.07 K (crystal-smectic B); 330.33 K (smectic B-smectic A); 334.88 K (smectic A-nematic); and 336.33 K (nematic-isotropic liquid), respectively. The enthalpies and entropies of these transitions were determined to be 23.22 kJ mol^?1/70.7 JK^?1 mol^?1; 3.05/9.2; 3.41/10.2; and 1.17/3.5, respectively. The total transition entropy of HBAF agreed well with those previously reported for the present homologues. The standard thermodynamic functions were estimated up to 385 K. The heat capacity curve of HBAF in the transition region had a close resemblance to that of p-n-hexyloxybenzylideneamino-p'-chlorobenzene. The entropies of the smectic A-nematic and nematicisotropic liquid transitions were compared with those theoretically derived by McMillan. The smectic B-smectic A transition entropy was interpreted in terms of order-disorder phase transition associated with the orientation of molecule.     

Dielectric Anisotropy and the Order Parameter of HXBBA

Abstract

Measurements of dielectric anisotropy (Δ?), refractive indices (n _e , n _o), birefringence (Δn) and density (ρ) have been made in the nematic and smectic phases of N(-p-hexyloxybenzylidene)-p-butylaniline (HXBBA). The results indicate that the various transitions are of the first order type except smectic B-smectic G, which may be a second order transition. The order parameter S has been determined using the isotropic internal field model (Vuks approach) and the anisotropic internal field model (Neugebauer's approach) and both the values agree fairly well. The dielectric anisotropy (Δ?) increases strongly in the smectic phases whle S increases only slowly. It is interpreted by an increase of dipole-dipole correlations.     

Study of a new homologous series of liquid crystals: Isopropyl-p-(p/-n-alkoxy cinnamoyloxy) cinnamates

A new homologous series: isopropyl-p-[p^/-n-alkoxy cinnamoyloxy] cinnamates was synthesized and studied with a view to understanding and establishing the relation between liquid crystal property and molecular structure. Twelve homologues were synthesized. Methyl to butyl homologues are not liquid crystals, while pentyl, hexyl, heptyl, octyl, decyl, dodecyl, tetradecyl, and hexadecyl derivatives are enantiotropic liquid crystal in nature with nematogenic character. Smectogenic character is totally absent. A phase diagram is obtained by plotting a graph of transition temperatures versus number of carbon atoms is n-alkyl chain of left n-alkoxy terminal end group. Solid-isotropic or solid-nematic transition curve rises steeply from methyl to propyl derivatives and falls to pentyl homologue through butyl homologue, and follows a zigzag path of rising and falling values as the series is ascended. Nematic–isotropic transition curve shows descending tendency as series is ascended in a normal manner with exhibition of odd-even effect. Smectic mesophase does not appear even in the monotropic condition. Phase transition temperatures are determined by hot stage polarizing microscope. Analytical data support the structure of molecules. Texture of nematic mesophase is of threaded type. Mesomorphic properties are compared with structurally similar homologous series.     

Temperature and Pressure Study of 8S5

We have studied the liquid crystal phase transitions of 4-n-pentylbenzenethio.4′-n-octyloxybenzoate (8S5) as a function of pressure and temperature. There were no pressure induced anomalies. We measured the latent heat at the N-1 transition (.5±.1 calories/gram) but were not able to observe any evidence of a latent heat for both the A-N and C-A transitions. We speculate that the continuous nature of these transitions may be linked to the flexibility of the polar part of 8S5.