Investigation of alignment mechanism of liquid crystal on polyimide Langmuir-Blodgett films by scanning tunnelling microscopy

Abstract

The homogeneous alignment of a liquid crystal material, 4′-n-octyl-4-cyanobiphenyl (8CB), was achieved by polyimide Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films. Scanning electron microscopy and scanning tunnelling microscopy measurements show that the alignment of the polyimide LB films with a grooveless surface occurs due to the orientation of the polyimide chains. We directly observe 8CB monolayers on oriented polyimide LB films. We find that the monolayers form a two dimensional crystalline structure and the 8CB molecules are always aligned along the chain direction of the polyimide. The results show that the alignment of 8CB molecules arises by an epitaxial growth on the oriented polyimide LB films.     

Synthesis and properties of highly thermally stable ultrathin films of fluorine-containing hyperbranched polybenzoxazoles

In this paper, we aimed to develop ultrathin films of hyperbranched polybenzoxazole with a thickness in the range between 1 and 100 nm. They are expected to have great potential for various applications as functional materials due to their high thermal stability, good chemical resistance and mechanical strength. The synthesis of various hyperbranched poly(o-hydroxyamide)s as precursors of polybenzoxazole was examined by the polycondensation of 2,2-bis(3-amino-4-hydroxyphenyl)propane (AHP) and 2,2-bis(3-amino-4-hydroxyphenyl)hexafluoropropane (AHFP) with 1,3,5-benzenetricarbonyl trichloride (BCC), yielding the corresponding hyperbranched poly(o-hydroxyamide), poly(AHFP_m-co-AHP_n-co-BCC_2.0), with M_n in the range between 12,870 and 22,210 in satisfactory yields. Poly(AHFP_3.0-co-BCC_2.0), poly(AHFP_2.25-co-AHP_0.75-co-BCC_2.0), and poly(AHFP_1.50-co-AHP_1.50-co-BCC_2.0) showed good solubility and film-forming ability, and ultrathin films 8.9–88.6 nm thick were prepared on silicon wafers. Heating of the ultrathin films of poly(AHFP_m-co-AHP_n-co-BCC_2.0) on a hot plate at 350 °C for 1 h afforded the corresponding ultrathin films of hyperbranched polybenzoxazole, poly(AHFP_m-cyclo-AHP_n-cyclo-BCC_2.0), with a thickness of 5.3–82.4 nm. Double-layer thin films consisting of resist materials on top of hyperbranched polybenzoxazole were also prepared.     

Influence of the order parameter and of the director orientation on the surface tension of free nematic films

Abstract

A radial hydrodynamic flow in the nematic phase of free, suspended cylindrical films of 4-n-heptyl- and decyloxybenzoic acid and in 4,4′-di-n-heptyl-oxyazoxybenzene has been observed. The flow starts about 7°C before the phase transition into the smectic C phase. Under the same experimental conditions such a hydrodynamic flow is not established in free nematic films of 4-n-heptyl-and octyloxy-4′-cyanobiphenyl, 4,4′-dimethoxyazoxybenzene and N-(4-ethoxybenzylidene)-4′-n-butylaniline after the completion of the transition from the isotropic liquid to the nematic phase. The observed hydrodynamic flow is explained by a non-linear temperature dependence of the surface tension.     

Synthesis,mesomorphic, photophysical and computational studies of new achiral four-ring unsymmetrical bent-core mesogens and their Copper(II) complexes

New achiral four-ring unsymmetrical bent-core mesogens derived from 2,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde and their copper(II) complexes have been synthesised as a new design with an imine and ester linkage. These new bent-core molecules resemble hockey-stick shape, which possesses 4-n-alkyloxy chain (4-n-hexyloxy and 4-n-decyloxy) at one end and methyl or methoxy group at the other end of the molecule. The synthesis, spectroscopic characterisation, phase transition temperature and characterisation of phase behaviour are reported. The bent-core molecules exhibited monotropic nematic and smectic A phase depending on the terminal chain length. Interestingly, copper(II) complexes of bent-core molecules displayed monotropic nematic phase. This is the first report on copper(II) complexes of bent-core molecules that exhibited nematic phase. The four-ring bent-core molecule exhibited fluorescence with large stoke shift. The density functional theory calculations of bent-core molecules and their copper(II) complexes are carried out using Gaussian 09 program at B3LYP level to obtain the stable molecular conformation, dipole moment, highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO), lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energies and bending angle of the compounds. The natural atomic charges and electronic configurations of the atoms of free ligands as well as the complexes have been evaluated.     

Aggregation and photoisomerization of amphiphilic crown-ether styryl dye in monolayers at the interface

The molecules oftrans-isomer of styryl dye1a, containing the benzo-18-crown-6 moiety and the methoxybenzothiazole residue with theN-octadecyl substituent, were shown to form stable, highly ordered monolayers at the water/air interface. Increasing the surface pressure of the monolayer results in the formation of the H-aggregated molecules of compound1a. The H-aggregates tend to dissociate to the monomerictrans-form, when the monolayer forms in the Langmuir-Blodgett film (LB film). The light irradiation of the LB films leads to the partially reversibletrans-cis-photoisomerization of compound1a, whose efficiency is much lower than that observed in an acetonitrile solution of1a. The aggregation of cis-1a isomers in the LB film is suggested to hamper the reversecis-trans-isomerization. The aggregation oftrans-1a molecules in the LB films does not occur in air, but, after dipping in an aqueous solution, molecules of the LB film slowly form J-aggregates. A model of the structural organization oftrans-1a molecules in the LB films was proposed.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 2490–2496, October, 1996.     

Low-temperature nematic phase in asymmetrical 1,3,4-oxadiazole bent-core liquid crystals possessing lateral methoxy group

Asymmetrical bent-core molecules based on 1,3,4-oxadiazole bent-core unit have been synthesised as a new design with a lateral methoxy group at outer phenyl ring of the molecule. These new asymmetrical bent-core molecules resemble hockey-stick shaped due to the presence of two different arms of different lengths. One arm of these molecules is elongated having two phenyl rings and possesses a 4-n-alkyloxy chain of a different number of carbon atoms (n = 4, 8, 12 and 18) and other arm is short and has one phenyl ring with fixed 4-n-octyloxy chain. The bent-core molecules possess a lateral polar methoxy group at the elongated arm of the molecule. These bent-core compounds exhibited fluorescence emission in the UV wavelength region (~377–386 nm) whereas in acetonitrile and dimethylformamide, solvent displays blue emission peak with a large stoke shift.The bent-core molecules with the number of carbon atoms (n = 4, 8 and 12) at the elongated arm exhibited monotropic nematic phase at low temperature, while the 4-n-octadecyloxy chain at the elongated arm displayed smectic A phase. Dielectric studies were performed in the nematic phase of the bent-core mesogens confirm the formation of the cybotactic cluster in the nematic mesophases.     

Rectifying Properties of Oxide Semiconductor Heterostack Films at Elevated Temperatures

Heterostack films of p-type NiO and n-type TiO₂ semiconductors were deposited by a method of chemical solution deposition on a glass substrate having a sputtered ITO (In₂O₃ doped with Sn) electrode. Transparent films with total thickness of about 280 nm were obtained by heat treatments at 600°C. NiO reacted with TiO₂ to give a NiTiO₃ thin layer between them. The films exhibited a typical rectifying I-V behavior and this property was maintained at 300°C. The thickness of the NiTiO₃ intermediate layer increase with the heating time at 600°C and leading to a decrease of the current density at low voltage.     

Acridine N-Heterocyclic Carbene Gold(I) Compounds: Tuning from Yellow to Blue Luminescence

The synthesis and the luminescence features of three gold(I)-N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes are presented to study how the n-alkyl group can influence the luminescence properties in the crystalline state. The mononuclear gold(I)-NHC complexes, [( L¹ )Au(Cl)] ( 1 ), [( L² )Au(Cl)] ( 2 ), and [( L³ )Au(Cl)] ( 3 ) were isolated from the reactions between [(tht)AuCl] and corresponding NHC ligand precursors, [N-(9-acridinyl)-N’-(n-butyl)-imidazolium chloride, ( L¹ .HCl)], [N-(9-acridinyl)-N’-(n-pentyl)-imidazolium chloride, ( L² .HCl)] and [N-(9-acridinyl)-N’-(n-hexyl)-imidazolium chloride, ( L³ .HCl)]. Their single-crystal X-ray analysis reveals the influence of the n-alkyl groups on solid-state packing. A comparison of the luminescence features of 1 – 3 with n-alkyl substituents is explored. The molecules 1 – 3 depicted blue emission in the solution state, while the yellow emission (for 1 ), greenish-yellow emission (for 2 ), and blue emission (for 3 ) in the crystalline phase. This paradigm emission shift arises from n-butyl to n-pentyl and n-hexyl in the crystalline state due to the carbon-carbon rotation of the n-alkyl group, which tends to promote unusual solid packing. Hence n-alkyl group adds a novel emission property in the crystalline state. Density Functional Theory and Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory calculations were carried out for monomeric complex, N-(9-acridinyl)-N’-(n-heptyl)imidazole-2-ylidene gold(I) chloride and dimeric complex, N-(9-acridinyl)-N’-(n-heptyl)imidazole-2-ylidene gold(I) chloride to understand the structural and electronic properties.     

Influence of the alkyl chain length of some mesogenic molecules on their Langmuir film formation ability

Langmuir films of members of two homologous series, the 4‐n‐alkyl‐4′‐cyanobiphenyls (nCB) for n = 2–14 and trans‐4‐n‐alkyl(4′‐cyanophenyl)cyclohexanes (PCHn) for n = 2–12, have been studied by recording surface pressure/area isotherms and by Brewster angle microscopy. It has been found that the compounds with very short chains (n3) and very long chains (n>12 for nCB, n>10 for PCHn) are unable to form compressible monolayers at the air–water interface. Other members of both series can form stable Langmuir films, but both their rigidity and stability as well as the molecular packing vary with the alkyl chain length. The isotherms and BAM images imply that the organization of the liquid crystal molecules in the films is to some extent correlated with their ability to form corresponding mesophase in the bulk: nematogenic compounds tend to form rounded droplet‐like domains, whereas smectogenic compounds tend to form flat domains.     

Mesomorphic and photophysical behaviour of 1,3,4-oxadiazole based hockey stick reactive mesogens

New hockey stick mesogens derived from 1,3,4-oxadiazole as a bent-core unit have been synthesised. The molecules resemble hockey stick shape due to the presence of two arms containing a different number of phenyl rings attached with the 1,3,4-oxadiazole bending unit. The shorter arm of the molecule consists of one phenyl ring and 4-n-alkyloxy terminal chains whereas the long arm of the molecule possesses containing two phenyl rings which are linked via imine linkage and reactive 4-n-undecenyloxy as a terminal chain. The thermal stabilities of the newly synthesised compounds were carried out by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The mesomorphic behaviour was investigated by polarising optical microscopy (POM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). All the compounds exhibit enantiotropic nematic phase along with smectic phases (SmA and SmC phases). Interestingly, the compounds with lower 4-n-alkyloxy terminal chains (n = 4 and 6) exhibit a wide range of optically isotropic DC phase. On increasing, the terminal 4-n-alkoxy chain length the DC phase disappears. The photophysical properties of the compounds were investigated in different solvents and in the solid state. It was observed that the compound exhibit absorption in UV region and emission in the green region.     

Synthesis and structure of cis-[RuCl(bpzm)(κ1-P-dpim)(κ2-P,N-dpim)]Cl·(CHCl3)5. Stability of [Cl(HCCl3) n ]− aggregates

The reaction of [RuCl₂(cod)(bpzm)] [cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene, bpzm = bis(pyrazol-1-yl)methane] with 2-diphenylphosphino-1-methylimidazole (dpim) and crystallisation from CHCl₃ yielded crystals of cis-[RuCl(κ²-N,N-bpzm)(κ¹-P-dpim)(κ²-P,N-dpim)][Cl(CHCl₃)₄]·CHCl₃, (1√(CHCl₃)₅), in which the Cl^?  counteranion was solvated by four CHCl₃ molecules and interacted with the most positive region of the cation. The structure of the anionic entity and the presence of non-covalent interactions were studied. Theoretical calculations allowed the evaluation of the stability of [Cl(CHCl₃) _n ]^?  aggregates. A pronounced stability was found for aggregates with n = 6 with an increasing charge transfer from the chloride ion to the CHCl₃ molecules from n = 1 to 6. A literature survey on the occurrence of anionic species [Cl(CXCl₃) _n (HB) _m ]^?  (X = H or D; HB = hydrogen bonds with the cation) in solid state structures was carried out and the findings correlated with the results of computational studies. A stabilisation effect of a Cl…Cl interaction was demonstrated by a natural bond orbitals (NBO) analysis.     

Novel organosilicon monomer for preparing transparent matrices doped with lanthanide complexes

Perfluoroadipic bis(trialkoxysilylpropyl)amide was synthesized as a mixture of five compounds with the general formula (EtO) _n (MeO)_3-n Si(CH₂)₃NHC(O)(CF₂)₄C(O)NH(CH₂)₃-Si(OMe) _n (OEt)_3-n (1, n = 1, 2). Hydrolysis of this product by a specified amount of water (1: 4) gave oligomers EtO[(HO)(EtO)Si(CH₂)₃NH(O)C(CF₂)₄C(O)NH(CH₂)₃Si(OEt)₂O]_nH ( _n = 7–9). From oligomer solutions, transparent glassy thermally stable films were obtained. The film material was studied by IR spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction. Compound 1 and oligomers can efficiently solvate lanthanide diketonate complexes. They displace water from the metal coordination sphere, and this water is then spent for hydrolysis of trialkoxysilyl groups. The luminescence intensity of matrix films based on the oligomers depends on the concentration of lanthanide complexes and is very low at 7n_exc = 330 nm, whereas the luminescence intensity of the Eu³⁺ cation is very high.     

Morphological and Interaction Characteristics of Surface-Active Ionic Liquids and Palmitic Acid in Mixed Monolayers

A series of water soluble, surface-active ionic liquids (SAILs), namely, 1-alkyl-3-methyl imidazolium chlorides ([C_n-mim]Cl) and their mixtures with palmitic acid (PA) are investigated in Langmuir monolayers and Langmuir–Blodgett films. It is inferred from the surface pressure-area isotherms that C₁₆-mim-IL mixes non-ideally with PA and stabilizes the binary mixed films. In addition, the residence of mim-IL at the water surface is enhanced as a function of the increasing alkyl side chain length. Generally, the compressional moduli values decrease upon increasing the content of the mim-ILs over a wide range of compositions. Furthermore, film relaxation measurements indicate that the IL component is selectively excluded from the mixed films upon achieving a certain target pressure. Brewster angle microscope images demonstrate minimal changes on the PA domains in the presence of either C₄- and C₈-mim-ILs, whereas presence of the hexadecyl counterpart results in the formation of condensed sheets. Atomic force microscopy imaging of deposited films show the formation of propeller-like aggregates when C₈- or C₁₆-mim-IL is present in the mixed films.     

On the Structure and Formation of Self-Assembled Lattices of Gold Nanoparticles

The structure and ordering of nanoparticles of gold functionalized with n-alkyl thiol molecules are studied both experimentally and theoretically. Samples where produced using n=6 to n=16 alkyl thiol molecules. High Resolution Electron Microscopy coupled with image processing was used to study the gold particle structure. The details of the particle structure are discussed. We found that when the gold surface is saturated with thiol molecules there is some tendency to produce molecules with a disulphide structure. We also show that ordered arrays of particles can be produced using Langmuir-Blodgett techniques. The crystal structure of the films produced is studied and found to be 3D hcp. We also report that thiol covered gold particles with a size of 5 nm present a rounded shape suggesting that thiol molecules might induce an isotropic surface energy. It is found in the theoretical calculations that a strong bond between gold and sulphur is required to stabilize the complex metal-n-alkyl thiol. It is predicted that otherwise a heavily distorted nanocore will be formed. This is contrary to the observed structure of the particles.     

Dielectric relaxation of liquid crystal molecules in anisotropic confinements

Abstract

The dielectric relaxation of the liquid crystal 4-n-pentyl-4′-cyanobiphenyl (K15) in the presence of an anisotropic network has been studied. Anisotropic networks containing K15 molecules were prepared by in situ polymerisation of liquid-crystalline diacrylate molecules in a mixture containing K15. By changing the network concentration, the effect of the network molecules on the behaviour of the K15 molecules, which were not chemically attached to the network, was investigated. With increasing network concentration it was found that the mean relaxation times of K15 molecules shifted to lower temperatures and that their distribution became broader. The activation energy associated with the relaxation, however, remained almost constant before showing some increase at high network concentrations.     

Photoinduced Electron Transfer in Host-Guest Complexes of 2-Naphthyl-O(CH2) n -adamantanamines with Mono-6-O-p-nitrobenzoyl-β-cyclodextrin and Mono-6-O-m-nitrobenzoyl-β-cyclodextrin

A number of naphthalene derivatives containing adamantanamine binding moiety and an (CH₂) _n (n=2, 3, 4, 5, 6) spacer were prepared as the electron donor. A supramolecular assembly was fabricated by the inclusion between the donor substrates and the host molecules, i.e., mono-6-O-p-nitrobenzoyl-β-cyclodextrin (pNBCD) and mono-6-O-m-nitrobenzoyl-β-cyclodextrin (mNBCD), in water. The fluorescence quenching in these systems was studied in detail. It revealed efficient photoinduced electron transfers (PET) between the naphthalene donors and the cyclodextrin acceptors. This PET process was partitioned into a dynamic quenching component caused by bimolecule collision reactions and a static quenching component due to hydrophobic binding between the donor and acceptor molecules. Detailed Stern–Volmer constants were measured and they were partitioned into dynamic Stern–Volmer quenching constants (dynamic quenching) and static binding constants (static quenching). In these two pathways, the static quenching was found to be highly efficient and dominant in the presence of NBCD.     

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of a Polymeric Heteronuclear Complex of Cadmium(II) and Silver(I)

A polymeric complex of Cd(II) and Ag(I) bridged by thiocyanate and ethylenediamine, [Cd(en)_1.5Ag(SCN)₃], has been prepared and its structure determined by X-ray diffraction methods. The complex crystallizes in space group P2₁/n with a =7.456(1), b =9.915(2), c =19.822(2)Å, β =98.94(1)°. The Cd(II) atom is octahedrally coordinated by three SCN^- anions and two en molecules, while the Ag(I) atom is tetrahedraly coordinated by four SCN^- anions. Both SCN^- anions and en molecules act as bridging ligands and link Ag(I) and Cd(II) atoms to form a three-dimensional polymeric structure. The distance between Ag(I) and the atom S of a 1,1,3-µ3-SCN^- anion is much longer than that between Ag(I) and the atom S of a 1,3-µ-SCN^- anion. The short Ag-Ag distance of 3.133 Å and small Ag-S-Ag angle of 70.92° strongly suggests the existence of an Ag-Ag bonding interaction in the complex.     

Structural, Vibrational, and Gasochromic Properties of Porous WO3 Films Templated with a Sol-Gel Organic–Inorganic Hybrid

 The structure and the gasochromic properties of sol-gel-derived WO₃ films with a monoclinic structure (m-WO₃) were studied by focusing attention on the size of the monoclinic grains. The size of the m-WO₃ grains is modified by the addition of an organic–inorganic hybrid to the initial peroxopolytungstic acid (W-PTA) sols which are based on chemically bonded poly-(propylene glycol) to triethoxysilane end-capping groups (ICS-PPG). The results obtained with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) show that the heat treatment (500°C) of WO₃/ICS-PPG (0.5, 1, 2, 5, and 10 mol%) composite films results in a change of their morphology, and nanodimensional pores are formed between the grains. High-resolution TEM (HRTEM) analysis revealed the presence of an amorphous phase on the outside of the m-WO₃ grains, whereas energy-dispersive X-ray spectra (EDXS) showed that this amorphous phase contained W and Si. Impregnation of the WO₃/ICS-PPG film with H₂PtCl₆/i-propanol solution followed by heat treatment at 380°C gave the films their gasochromic properties. Infrared and Raman spectroscopic studies of the WO₃/ICS-PPG film confirmed the results of the corresponding HRTEM and EDXS analysis. In situ UV/Vis and in situ IR spectra of the films were measured in hydrogen and in air, and colouring/bleaching changes and the corresponding kinetics were assessed. The IR spectra of gasochromically coloured films showed that the mesoporous WO₃/ICS-PPG (1 mol%) film transforms to tetragonal H _x WO₃ bronze. The IR spectra of the H _x WO₃ bronze are discussed with the aim to establish the existence of the metal-OH vibrations of gasochromically formed oxyhydroxide tungsten bronze.     

Chemistry of Ruthenium Polypyridine Complexes: VI. Synthesis and Photochemistry of cis-[Ru(bpy)2(bipy)X]q Complexes

Complexes cis-[Ru(bpy)₂(bipy)(X)] ^{n +} [bpy = 2,2'-bipyridyl, bipy = 4,4'-bipyridyl, X = Br^-, ONO^-, CN^- (n = 1); MeCN, PPh₃ (n = 2), and NO⁺ (n = 3)] were synthesized. Irradiation of acetonitrile solutions of the complexes with X = Cl^-, Br^-, ONO^-, NO₂-, CN^-, NH₃, MeCN, and PPh₃ by visible light results in photosubstitution of 4,4'-bipyridyl by a solvent molecule. The electronic absorption spectra of the complexes were assigned on the basis of quantum-chemical calculations. A correlation was revealed between photolysis quantum yields and charges transferred from ligands X upon their coordination.     

A “Cell‐Friendly” Window for the Interaction of Cells with Hyaluronic Acid/Poly‐l‐Lysine Multilayers

Polyelectrolyte multilayers assembled from hyaluronic acid (HA) and poly‐l ‐lysine (PLL) are most widely studied showing excellent reservoir characteristics to host molecules of diverse nature; however, thick (HA/PLL)_n films are often found cell repellent. By a systematic study of the adhesion and proliferation of various cells as a function of bilayer number “n” a correlation with the mechanical and chemical properties of films is developed. The following cell lines have been studied: mouse 3T3 and L929 fibroblasts, human foreskin primary fibroblasts VH‐Fib, human embryonic kidney HEK‐293, human bone cell line U‐2‐OS, Chinese hamster ovary CHO‐K and mouse embryonic stem cells. All cells adhere and spread well in a narrow “cell‐friendly” window identify in the range of n = 12–15. At n < 12, the film is inhomogeneous and at n > 15, the film is cell repellent for all cell lines. Cellular adhesion correlates with the mechanical properties of the films showing that softer films at higher “n” number exhibiting a significant decrease of the Young's modulus below 100 kPa are weakly adherent to cells. This trend cannot be reversed even by coating a strong cell‐adhesive protein fibronectin onto the film. This indicates that mechanical cues plays a major role for cell behavior, also in respect to biochemical ones.