Cholesterol-based dimeric liquid crystals: synthesis and mesomorphic behaviour

Chiral non-symmetric dimeric liquid crystals consisting of a cholesteryl ester moiety as chiral entity and a biphenyl aromatic core, interconnected through n-butyl (C₄) or n-pentyl (C₅) parity alkylene spacers, have been synthesized and investigated for their liquid crystalline properties. All the dimers exhibit enantiotropic mesophases. The first member of the dimers having the C₄ central spacer exhibit only the chiral nematic (N*) mesophase, while the higher homologues also show smectic A (SmA) and twist grain boundary (TGB) mesophases. The dimers of the other series containing the C₅ central spacer also have stable SmA, TGB and N* mesophases, except for the first which does not show the TGB phase. Both series of compounds show a weak odd-even effect with terminal alkyl chain substitution, while the spacer length has a marked influence on the phase transition temperatures.     

The synthesis, structural features and thermal behaviour of thiophene-containing dithiocarboxylate complexes of zinc(II)

The complexes [Zn₂(S₂CTR)₄] (T = 2,5-disubstituted thiophene, R = C₄H₉ (1), C₆H₁₃ (2), C₈H₁₇ (3), C₁₂H₂₅ (4) and C₁₆H₃₃ (5)) have been synthesized and their structural features investigated. Compared to the analogous dithiobenzoate complexes, the crystal structure determination of 2 revealed that the thiophene induces a “step-rod” chain pattern instead of the linear, rodlike structure found for the corresponding dithiobenzoates. Complexes 1–5 did not display mesophases under thermal conditions, but an irregular melting pattern was observed for 3 and 4.     

Bent-core V-shaped mesogens consisting of salicylaldimine mesogenic segments: synthesis and characterization of mesomorphic behaviour

A series of bent-core V-shaped mesogens consisting of salicylaldimine mesogenic segments have been synthesized and their mesomorphic behaviour characterized. In an attempt to understand structure-property relationships, the lengths of the terminal alkoxy chains have been varied from C₂ to C₁₂, C₁₆ and C₁₈, resulting in 13 new bent-core V-shaped molecules. The thermal behaviour of these new compounds has been investigated by optical microscopy, calorimetry and X-ray diffraction studies. In general the compounds show conventional mesophases similar to those shown by calamitic LCs. The materials exhibit good thermal stability, even though their melting and clearing transition temperatures are high as a result of the presence of intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the H-atom of the hydroxyl group and the N-atom of the imine functionality. The phase appearing in the first member of the series with ethoxy chains is a nematic, while the C₃ to C₆ derivatives exhibit a smectic A phase as well as a nematic phase. The higher homologues, C₇ to C₁₂, C₁₆ and C₁₈, show only the smectic A phase. X-ray studies reveal that the SmA phase has a partially bilayer (interdigitated) structure. Remarkably, in some cases, the smectic A phase supercools well below room temperature. It is apparent from our studies that increasing the length of the alkoxy chains promotes smectic behaviour, in agreement with the general observation made for such bent-core molecules.     

C5~C7烃类组分在Al2O3毛细管色谱柱上的分离及应用

详细研究了54种常见的C₅~C₇烃类组分在S型、KCl型和M型3种类型Al₂O₃毛细管色谱柱上的分离和定性,结果显示大部分C₅~C₇烃类组分在3种类型Al₂O₃毛细管色谱柱上的分离效果良好,但也存在一些组分分离不完全或共流出的现象,3种类型Al₂O₃毛细管色谱柱上的分离效果也存在一定的差异。共测定了15个C₅烃类组分,25个C₆烃类组分及14个C₇烃类组分在这3种类型Al₂O₃毛细管色谱柱上的线性程序升温保留指数,为C₅~C₇烃类组分在Al₂O₃毛细管色谱柱上的定性提供了依据。同时定量分析了某石化企业的裂解气样品中C₅~C₇烃类组分的含量。本研究拓展了Al₂O₃毛细管色谱柱的应用范围,可以为石化企业轻烃的分析提供参考。     

Use of cerium oxide (CeO(2)) as a packing material for the chromatographic separation of C(60) and C(70) fullerenes

Cerium oxide (CeO₂) was tested as a packing material in liquid chromatography for the separation of C₆₀ and C₇₀ fullerenes. The separation of C₆₀ and C₇₀ fullerenes could be achieved within 20 min by using pure n-hexane as the mobile phase. Furthermore, some higher fullerenes could also be separated in less than 40 min. The peak area was reproducible to a large extent. The separation of fullerenes by liquid chromatography on CeO₂ is shown to be an effective method for their isolation in large amounts. The column efficiency of the CeO₂ column was compared with commercial silica gel and ODS columns. The main advantage of the CeO₂ column is its ability to separate large amounts of fullerenes (C₆₀ and C₇₀) in toluene.     

Ionic interaction induced novel ordered columnar mesophases in asymmetric discotic triphenylene salts

Asymmetric triphenylene imidazolium salts with different spacer lengths were successfully synthesized through quarternization of ω-bromo-substituted triphenylenes with 1-methyl imidazole. The asymmetry in ω-bromo-substituted triphenylenes tended to destroy liquid crystallinity in the sample. However, highly ordered columnar mesophases with a lamellar microphase segregation were induced by ionic interactions among the imidazolium salts, and the lamellar morphology was visualized by transmission electron microscopy. On the basis of an X-ray diffraction study on shear oriented samples, a novel rectangular columnar phase with a plane group of pm was observed for a triphenylene imidazolium salt with a spacer length of C₁₁, while an oblique columnar phase was determined for a triphenylene imidazolium salt with a C₈ spacer. Due to the asymmetric molecular shape and ionic interactions in the triphenylene imidazolium salts, the columnar liquid crystalline phase was extended to below room temperature (c. -20°C) for samples with spacer lengths of C₈ and C₁₁.     

Surface diffusion in reversed-phase liquid chromatography using silica gels bonded with C1 and C18 ligands of different densities

Surface diffusion in reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) using silica gels bonded with C₁ and C₁₈ alkyl ligands of different densities was studied from the viewpoints of two extrathermodynamic relationships, i.e., enthalpy-entropy compensation (EEC) and linear free energy relationship (LFER). First, according to the four methods proposed by Krug et al., the values of surface diffusion coefficient (D_s) were analyzed to confirm that an actual EEC resulting from substantial physico-chemical effects takes place for surface diffusion. Then, it was also demonstrated that a LFER is observed between surface diffusion and the retention equilibrium. The establishment of EEC and LFER suggests a mechanistic similarity of molecular migration by surface diffusion, irrespective of the alkyl chain length and the densities of C₁ and C₁₈ ligands. Finally, a thermodynamic model for the LFER based on the real EEC was used to estimate D_s values under various RPLC conditions. The D_s values can be estimated with a mean square deviation of about 25–30%. The agreement between the D_s values estimated and those experimentally measured suggests that the total mass flux by surface diffusion consists of the two contributions due to C₁ and C₁₈ ligands and that the contribution of each ligand is proportional to the ligand density.     

Determining the vinyl alcohol distribution in poly(vinyl butyral) using normal-phase gradient polymer elution chromatography

The application of film-forming organic polymers, which are in common use in membrane technology, as chromatographic adsorbents for packed and capillary columns has been suggested. The chromatographic characteristics of poly[1-(trimethylsilyl)-1-propine] (PTMSP) as an adsorbent were studied. The film-forming properties of PTMSP simplify manufacturing of capillary and packed gas–solid columns. It was shown that separation of C₁–C₄ hydrocarbon gases on the columns with PTMSP is of practical interest. In the authors’ opinion, PTMSP is also promising for the separation of inorganic gases.     

Preliminary communication 13C CPMAS NMR of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-n-dodecylphenyl)-porphyrin: dynamics of aliphatic chains in discotic lamellar mesophases

Solid state ¹³C CPMAS NMR spectra of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-n-dodecylphenyl)porphyrin (C₁₂ TPP) have been studied to elucidate the microscopic structures and dynamics in the mesophases. The temperature dependence of ¹³C CPMAS NMR in the aliphatic regions is discussed mainly in relation to the phase transitions. The spectra for the aliphatic chains showed remarkable changes with the phase transition from crystal to lower mesophase (M_L) and from lower to higher mesophase (M_L). It was found that the aliphatic chains partially melt in the M_L phase, while they melt totally in the M_L phase. The spectra in the aromatic region did not vary greatly with the transitions from crystal to M_L and from M_L to M_L, which probably means that the molecular D_4h symmetries are distorted in these mesophases, as in the crystal, on the time scale observed by NMR (~kHz).     

Four unit linking groups II. Some novel smectic C materials

About 40 diverse phenyl benzoate esters incorporating a trans-1-4-disubstituted cyclohexane ring joined to the central aromatic core by new four unit linking groups (C₄H₈, C₄H₆, C₃H₆O and C₃H₄O) have been synthesized. The effect of various lateral substituents (F, Cl, CN and Br) and especially two fluorine atoms in the 2,3-positions of the 4-n-alkoxybenzoate part of the esters has been investigated. Three homologous series of 5-n-alkyl-2-(4-phenyl)pyrimidines incorporating the same four unit linking groups have also been prepared. Many members of the ester and pyrimidine series exhibit enantiotropic smectic C mesophases at moderately elevated temperatures. Several esters and pyrimidines have been found to improve the surface alignment and temperature range of chiral smectic C mixtures for surface stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal displays. The effect of the new four unit linking groups on the liquid crystal transition temperatures, rotational viscosity and spontaneous polarization of their host structures in a standard chiral C mixture has been studied and compared to that of analogous materials containing no central linkage and standard central linkages (-, C₂H₄, CH₂O and COO). Several lactate ester derivatives incorporating the four unit linking groups have also been prepared and been found to exhibit a moderately high spontaneous polarization.     

Gemini表面活性剂/C12En混合体系的界面吸附、扩张粘弹与泡沫稳定性

用表面张力法研究了阳离子gemini表面活性剂乙基-1, 2-双(十二烷基二甲基溴化铵)(简写为12-2-12)和非离子表面活性剂十二烷基聚氧乙烯醚(C₁₂E_n,其中n = 4, 10, 23)混合体系在气液界面上的吸附行为;用扩张流变技术研究了吸附膜的扩张粘弹行为,实验数据用Lucassen-van den Tempel (LVT)模型进行拟合并根据模型得到了极限弹性值.最后研究了混合体系的泡沫行为,用泡沫塌陷到初始高度一半所对应的时间(t_1/2)来表征泡沫的稳定性.结果表明,所有的非离子表面活性剂C₁₂E_n均与12-2-12产生了吸引作用.在12-2-12浓度相同的情况下,混合吸附层中吸附分子的最小分子占据面积的顺序为12-2-12/C₁₂E₂₃ > 12-2-12/C₁₂E₁₀ > 12-2-12/C₁₂E₄,而极限弹性的顺序为ε_{0, fit}(12-2-12/C₁₂E₄) > ε_{0, fit}(12-2-12/C₁₂E₁₀) > ε_{0, fit}(12-2-12/C₁₂E₂₃).与单组分12-2-12形成的吸附膜相比,只有12-2-12/C₁₂E₄形成更加紧密的结构.具有较小亲水头基的非离子表面活性剂C₁₂E₄的加入,可增强12-2-12吸附膜的弹性,进而增强了对应体系泡沫的稳定性.     

Novel liquid-crystalline derivatives of transition metals. The effect of the molecular geometry of the ligands on the mesogenic properties of tetracoordinated copper(II) complexes

The synthesis, characterization and thermal behaviour of several new series of copper(II) complexes derived from carbonylic compounds and their Schiff's bases are reported. The complexes are of two types; [Cu(C₆H₃O(R)-C(X) = O)₂], (type I) and [Cu(C₆H₃O(R)-C(X) = N-R')₂] (type II) where R = - OOC-C₆H₄OC₁₀H₂₁-p, and the position of R is 4 or 5; R' = CH₃, n-C₁₀H₂₁, p-n-C₁₀H₂₁O(C₆H₄)-; X = H, CH₃. In type I complexes, only the compound with X = H and R in position 5 showed mesomorphism. For type II complexes, all the Schiff's bases complexes of copper(II) derived from 2,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde showed thermotropic mesophases (smectic C and nematic), whereas the complexes derived from 2,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde were only mesogenic when the imine was derived from methylamine. None of the complexes derived from the ketone (2,4 or 2,5-dihydroxy derivatives) showed liquid-crystalline properties. X-ray studies of four complexes of type II were carried out. The anisotropy of the magnetic susceptibility has a negative sign for complexes with R in position 4 and a positive sign for 2,5-derivative complexes. The relationship between molecular structure and mesomorphic behaviour is discussed.     

C30 stationary phases for the analysis of food by liquid chromatography

The introduction of a polymeric C₃₀ liquid chromatographic column by Sander et al. [Anal. Chem., 66 (1994) 1667] designed for the separation of carotenoid isomers, has led to the development of improved analytical methods for these compounds. Subsequent commercial availability of polymerically bonded C₃₀ columns has facilitated these advances, and applications to a wide variety of separation problems with biological samples have been described. This report provides a comprehensive review of applications of polymeric C₃₀ columns, utilized in the determination of carotenoids, retinoids, and other nutrients and related compounds in complex, natural-matrix samples.     

New organometallic liquid crystals I. Orthopalladated imine derivatives

The synthesis, characterization and thermal behaviour of 12 dinuclear, orthopalladated complexes derived from Schiff's bases are reported. The complexes are of the type [Pd₂(H-X)₂C₆H₃(OR)-C(Z) = N-C₆H₄R'₂] (X = OAc, Cl, Br, SCN; Z = H, CH₃; R' = OR, R; R = C₁₀H₂₁) and ten of them exhibit ordered mesophases (S_C and S_A). The molecules were characterized structurally by I.R. and ¹H N.M.R. spectroscopy in order to elucidate the possible existence of isomers. The connection between their molecular structures and their mesogenic properties is discussed.     

Phase behaviour of n-alkyl- and bi-alkylbenzenesulphonates. Nematic lyotropics from double chain surfactants

The lyotropic mesophases in binary systems of surfactants in water: n-alkylbenzenesulphonates (C₈-C₁₂), two chain C₁₂-surfactants, and dodecyl-benzenesulphonic acid, were investigated. The micellar properties were examined by conductometry and viscosimetry. The phase diagrams were determined using crossed polarizers, ²H NMR spectroscopy and polarization microscopy. Besides lamellar and inverse cubic phases, new nematic lyotropic phases have been found, presenting precursors for the lamellar phases, and exhibiting very fast alignment in a magnetic field.     

稀土金属间化合物的催化性能——CO及不饱和气相烃在LaNi5上的加氢

本文应用脉冲色谱微型反应器研究了CO,C₂H₄,C₂H₂和C₆H₆在稀土金属间化合物LaNi₅上的催化加氢作用,并且在同一装置上与纯Ni进行了对比。实验结果表明:(1)LaNi₅的催化活性与被加氢物质的性质有关。与纯Ni相比,LaNi₅对被加氢物质所显示的催化效率按下面次序变小:CO>C₂H₄>C₂H₂>C₆H₆,但对苯而言,LaNi₅的活性却比纯Ni低。(2)在H₂中经升温处理过的LaNi₅比未经升温处理的LaNi₅具有更大的催化活性。(3)CO甲烷化反应在LaNi₅及纯Ni上均遵从一级反应速度规律,其活化能分别为15.5Kcal/mole和31Kcal/mole。     

基于自制气体循环系统测定全氟异丁腈中杂质成分

建立了基于自制全密闭进样系统的气相色谱-质谱测定全氟异丁腈（C₄F₇N）商品气中杂质的方法。待测气体在自制的密封系统内稀释并混合均匀,使用在线自动六通阀进样,采用Agilent GS-GASPRO色谱柱（30 m×0.32 mm×5 μm）分离,测定了国内某公司（DC公司）和国外某公司（AC公司）的全氟异丁腈绝缘气体的杂质成分。结果表明,全氟异丁腈商品气中含有微量的N₂、O₂、C₃HF₇和痕量的C₃F₆,其中AC公司的C₄F₇N商品气体中的杂质总含量为0.13%,C₄F₇N纯度为99.87%;DC公司的C₄F₇N商品气体中的杂质总含量为0.83%,C₄F₇N纯度为99.17%,两家公司的C₄F₇N含量均符合≥ 99%的标称含量。该法通过对C₄F₇N绝缘气体组成的测定,为其在电气绝缘输电设备中的应用提供基础成分数据。     

Synthesis and thermal behaviour of salicylaldimine-based liquid crystalline symmetrical dimers

A series of symmetrical dimers consisting of salicylaldimine moieties connected by flexible alkylene central spacer via ether linkages has been synthesized. In order to validate the empirical rule suggested by Date et al. to account for the smectic behaviour of such dimers, the chain length of the terminal alkoxy chain has been kept constant (C₈) while the number of methylene units in the central spacer was varied from C₃ to C₁₁. Another aim of the present investigation was to understand structure-property relationship in these dimers in which the salicylaldimine mesogenic segment has been used for the first time in dimers. The mesomorphic behaviour of these dimers was evaluated using optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry and the structure of some of the mesophases has been further investigated with the help of X-ray diffraction. Our studies reveal that the dimers consisting of 3 to 8 methylene units in the flexible spacer show only smectic (smectic C and smectic A) phases. For the dimers containing 4, 6 and 8 methylene units in the central spacer, a unique filament growth pattern has been observed in the smectic A phase while cooling from the isotropic phase. The dimers containing of C₉ to C₁₁ methylene groups exhibit the nematic phase in addition to smectic modifications. This observation indicates that when the terminal chains are shorter than the spacer, the tendency to form smectic phases is not fully extinguished but is perhaps reduced.     

Lyotropic mesomorphism of rare-earth trisalkylsulphates in the water-ethylene glycol system

Lyotropic mesophases were observed for rare-earth trisdodecylsulphates, Ln(C₁₂H₂₅SO₄)₃ (Ln = Y, La, Ce-Lu, except Pm) in the presence of ethylene glycol or water (or mixtures thereof) as the solvent. In ethylene glycol, a normal hexagonal phase and a cubic phase could be detected, whereas in water a normal hexagonal phase and a lamellar phase were found. Thus by changing the solvent, it is possible to obtain different supramolecular organizations within a series of lanthanide-containing metallomesogens.     

The interaction between C28 (Td) and X (X=H and F)

Hydrogen and fluorine addition reactions with C₂₈(T_d) have been investigated by the density function theory method at B3LYP/6-31G level. The interaction potential between C₂₈(T_d) and atom X (X=H and F) shows that there are three possible stable isomers of C₂₈(T_d)X (X=H and F) and the average binding energy calculations suggest that C₂₈(T_d)H₄ is the most stable hydrogen adduct among C₂₈(T_d)H_n (n=1–28). Furthermore, by comparisons of the energy between C₂₈(T_d)H and C₂₈(C_s)H we found that the former are more stable than the later, and the structural and energy analysis further indicate that C₂₈(C_s)H is only with a small distortion of C₂₈(T_d)H symmetry. In addition, the transition states, as well as reaction pathways of X transfer reactions between different key points on C₂₈(T_d) representative patch are given to explore the possible reaction mechanism.