Cholesterol-based hydrogen-bonded liquid crystals

Hydrogen bonding is a powerful tool for assembling molecules and building new liquid crystalline structures. In this study, non-symmetric dimesogens were prepared by intermolecular hydrogen bonding between rationally designed H-bond donor (3-cholesteryloxycarbonylpentanoic acid) and acceptor (4-(pyridine-4-ylmethyleneimino)phenyl 4-alkoxybenzoate) moieties. Their liquid crystalline properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, polarized optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Cholesteric and smectic phases were observed. As for the covalently linked dimesogens, several types of smectic periodicities occur for these H-bonded cholesteryl compounds depending on the molecular parameters.     

Supramolecular hydrogen-bonded liquid crystals

The role of hydrogen-bonding interactions in the formation and/or stabilization of liquid crystalline phases has been recognized in recent years and significant work has been conducted. Following the first and well-established examples of liquid crystal formation through the dimerization of aromatic carboxylic acids, several classes of compounds have been prepared by the interaction of complementary molecules, the liquid crystalline behaviour of which is crucially dependent on the structure of the resulting supramolecular systems. In this review the main classes of liquid crystals prepared through hydrogen-bonding interactions are presented, with the aim of establishing, in the first place, the diversity of organic compounds that can be used as building elements in the process of liquid crystal formation. Rigid-rod anisotropic or amphiphilic-type molecules, appropriately functionalized with recognizable moieties, interact in the melt or in solution and lead to the formation of supramolecular complexes that may exhibit thermotropic liquid crystalline character. Depending on the nature, number and position of the groups able to form hydrogen bonds, a diversity of supramolecular structures, both dimeric and polymeric, have been obtained, affording in turn various liquid crystalline phases. The structure and stability of these hydrogen-bonded supramolecular complexes and their relation to the observed liquid crystalline phases are the main topics of this review.     

Supramolecular hydrogen-bonded liquid crystals

The role of hydrogen-bonding interactions in the formation and/or stabilization of liquid crystalline phases has been recognized in recent years and significant work has been conducted. Following the first and well-established examples of liquid crystal formation through the dimerization of aromatic carboxylic acids, several classes of compounds have been prepared by the interaction of complementary molecules, the liquid crystalline behaviour of which is crucially dependent on the structure of the resulting supramolecular systems. In this review the main classes of liquid crystals prepared through hydrogen-bonding interactions are presented, with the aim of establishing, in the first place, the diversity of organic compounds that can be used as building elements in the process of liquid crystal formation. Rigid-rod anisotropic or amphiphilic-type molecules, appropriately functionalized with recognizable moieties, interact in the melt or in solution and lead to the formation of supramolecular complexes that may exhibit thermotropic liquid crystalline character. Depending on the nature, number and position of the groups able to form hydrogen bonds, a diversity of supramolecular structures, both dimeric and polymeric, have been obtained, affording in turn various liquid crystalline phases. The structure and stability of these hydrogen-bonded supramolecular complexes and their relation to the observed liquid crystalline phases are the main topics of this review.     

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.     

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.     

Supramolecular liquid crystals containing isoquinoline hydrogen-bonded acceptors

6-Dodecyloxyisoquinoline IS ( 1 ) has been synthesized and utilized as a proton acceptor to generate a series of novel mesogenic supramolecules. Two mesogenic supramolecular dimers IS-OBA and IS-COOBA have been constructed from a 1:1 molar ratio of IS complexed either with 4-decyloxybenzoic acid OBA ( 2 ) or with 4-decyloxycarbonylbenzoic acid COOBA ( 3 ). A kinked mesogenic supramolecular trimer, i.e. a double H-bonded complex (IS)-THDA, has been constructed from a 2:1 molar ratio of IS complexed with 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylic acid THDA ( 4 ). The mesogenic properties of the H-bonded complex (IS2)-THDA are compared with those of previously reported H-bonded complexes (C12PS)-THDA and (C12PP2)-THDA consisting of a 2:1 molar ratio of trans -4-dodecyloxy-4-stilbazole C12PS 2 ( 5 ) or 4-dodecyloxypyridine C12PP2 (6 ) with THDA. Significantly, the first isoquinoline-based supramolecular liquid crystals have been built, and their mesogenic properties have been introduced or modified by fused- N -heterocyclic rings.     

Mesophase behaviour of azobenzene-based angular supramolecular hydrogen-bonded liquid crystals

New types of angular 1:1 hydrogen-bonded supramolecular complexes via hydrogen-bond formation between 4-alkoxyphenylazo benzoic acids (In) and 4-(3?-pyridylazo)-4??-alkoxybenzoates (IIm) with various alkoxy chains (from 6 to 16 carbons) were prepared and investigated for their mesophase behaviour by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarised-light microscopy (PLM). All prepared homologues were found to be dimorphic, possessing smectic C and nematic mesophases. The formation of 1:1 hydrogen-bonded supramolecular liquid crystals (LCs) complexes was confirmed by FTIR and UV?visible (UV?vis) absorption spectroscopy. The study revealed that nematic transition enhancement (ΔT) decreases with the increase of the alkoxy chain length on the base complement, while it increases with the increase of the chain attached to the acid complement of the complex, that is the stability of the nematic phase is more dependent on the length of the acid component.     

Cholesterol-based dimeric liquid crystals: synthesis,mesomorphic behaviour of frustrated phases and DFT study

Chiral unsymmetrical dimeric liquid crystals consisting of a cholesterol moiety as chiral entity and a substituted salicylidene imine core (with the substituent being butyl or fluoro or chloro group) interconnected through an even methylene spacer have been synthesised and their mesomorphic properties are characterised. All the dimers exhibit enantiotropic mesophases. The butyl homologue exhibited N* phase only, the fluoro- and chloro-substituted compound exhibited frustrated blue phases (BPs), N* phase and SmC* or twisted grain boundary (TGB) phases. The occurrence of a fluid frustrated phase, the BP, in particular, observed in compounds with a polar moiety and bent optimised conformation by density functional theory (DFT) study, indicates the importance of polar structures and bent shape of the compounds. Theoretical calculation was performed in order to study the optimised conformation, polarity and electron density distribution of the synthesised cholesterol derivatives using DFT. Time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculation also had been carried out to investigate the absorption spectra and HOMO–LUMO energies. The experimental and theoretical absorption spectra are also presented.     

Enaminoketones as calamitic liquid crystals with a novel hydrogen-bonded rigid core

A series of compounds having an aminopropenone-3 group between two aromatic rings has been synthesized and thermally stable enantiotropic mesogens with properties typical of three ring liquid crystals were obtained. The mesomorphic properties of the molecules result from the presence of a rigid calamitic core stabilized by a hydrogen-bonded cis-s-cis quasi-ring form of the enaminoketone group.     

Facile synthesis and characterization of novel thermo-chromism cholesteryl-containing hydrogen-bonded liquid crystals

Two series of novel cholesteryl-containing H-bonded liquid crystals were prepared through facile self-assembly between cholesteryl isonicotinate(proton acceptor) exhibiting a monotropic cholesteric phase,and the 4-alkoxy-benzoic acid or 4-alkoxy cinnamic acid(proton donor).It was found that the increase of the conjugate length as well as the terminal length can contribute to enhance the interaction of molecules and thus significantly influenced the thermal behaviors of H-bonded LCs.The cholesteric reflec...     

Synthesis and mesophase behaviour of branched azobenzene-based supramolecular hydrogen-bonded liquid crystals

Five types of new pyridine-based azo compounds, namely, 4-(4′-pyridylazo)-4′‘-alkoxybenzoates or 4-(4′-pyridylazo)-4′’-substituted benzoates with straight or branch terminal were prepared as hydrogen bond (H-bond) acceptors to build mesogens. After self-assembled with different carboxylic acids, the resulted H-bond complexes were confirmed for the stability of H bond by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectroscopy, and investigated for the mesophase behaviour by differential scanning calorimetry and polarised optical microscopy. The influence of terminal chains in azo accepter or acid donor and the structure of acid donors on the mesogenic behaviour were discussed in detail.     

Force constants in hydrogen-bonded crystals

Hydrogen bond stretching force constants in crystals of imidazole, urea and cyanuric acid are calculated using both a modified CNDO/2 method and a constrained least squares fitting of interatomic pair potentials to the lattice vibrations. Results show that the modified CNDO/2 method gives closer agreement with the experimentally derived force constants than the normal CNDO/2 parameterization.     

Liquid crystals from hydrogen-bonded amphiphiles

Liquid crystals originating from hydrogen-bonded amphiphiles will be discussed, highlighting the structural features of the amphiphilic components that lead to supramolecular systems exhibiting liquid crystalline character. Liquid crystalline phases derived from two types of hydrogen-bonded amphiphiles will be presented: (a) liquid crystalline phases originating from multihydroxylated amphiphiles; and (b) liquid crystalline phases resulting from combined hydrogen bonding and ionic interactions.     

Preparation and liquid crystalline properties of a new type of hydrogen-bonded liquid crystals containing an aryl-acetylene moiety

A new type of liquid crystals formed through hydrogen bonding between 4-alkoxybenzoic acids and 4-alkoxyphenylethynylpyridines have been investigated by differential scanning calorimeter and polarizing optical microscopy. These materials show a typical nematic phase.     

Preparation and liquid crystalline properties of a new type of hydrogen-bonded liquid crystals containing an aryl-acetylene moiety

A new type of liquid crystals formed through hydrogen bonding between 4-alkoxybenzoic acids and 4-alkoxyphenylethynylpyridines have been investigated by differential scanning calorimeter and polarizing optical microscopy. These materials show a typical nematic phase.     

The infrared spectra of hydrogen-bonded crystals

A theoretical approach is proposed to explain the spectral changes in the X-H stretching region of hydrogen-bonded crystals. The model proposed here is restricted to a one dimensional crystal. The X-H stretching modes are supposed to be coupled to H-bond vibrations of lower frequency, and in general the separation of these modes is no longer possible. The fundamental hamiltonian describing this coupling is derived and formulae for quantities, such as intensity, bandwidth and center of gravity of the infrared line in the X-H stretching mode region are calculated.

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Zusammenfassung Es wird eine theoretische NÄherung vorgeschlagen, um die VerÄnderung im Infrarot-Spektrum von Kristallen mit Wasserstoff-Bindungen im Bereich der X-H-LÄngsschwingungen zu erklÄren. Das vorgeschlagene Modell ist eindimensional. Die X-H-Schwingungen sind mit (X-H...Y)-LÄngsschwingungen geringerer Frequenz gekoppelt; die verschiedenen Schwingungstypen lassen sich i. a. nicht trennen. Der fundamentale Hamiltonoperator, der die Kopplung beschreibt, wird eingeführt, und es werden Grö\en wie IntensitÄt, Bandbreite und 1. Moment der Spektrallinien der X-H-Schwingungen berechnet.

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Résumé Nous formulons une proposition théorique afin d'expliquer les changements intervenant dans le spectre infrarouge de cristaux à liaison hydrogène, dans la région des modes de vibration d'élongation X-H. Le modèle proposé est un modèle à une dimension. Les modes d'élongation X-H sont couplés à des modes d'élongation du type X-H... Y de plus basse fréquence; en général, on ne peut plus séparer ces divers modes. Nous établissons l'hamiltonien fondamental qui décrit ce couplage et nous calculons des grandeurs telles que l'intensité, la largeur de bande et le centre de gravité des raies du spectre de vibration d'élongation X-H.

     

Functional isocyanide metal complexes as building blocks for supramolecular materials: hydrogen-bonded liquid crystals

Gold, palladium and platinum complexes with an unusual isocyanide ligand containing a carboxylic acid function, [AuCl(CNC(6)H(4)COOH)], cis-[MI(2)(CNC(6)H(4)COOH)(2)] and trans-[MI(2)(CNC(6)H(4)COOH)(2)] (M = Pd, Pt) have been isolated. The carboxylic acid group of the coordinated isocyanide acts as a hydrogen donor for hydrogen-bonding and three series of stable hydrogen-bonded liquid crystalline metal complexes have been prepared with decyloxystilbazole. Although all the metal acid derivatives used are not mesomorphic, and decyloxystilbazole only shows an ordered Smectic E phase, four out of the five hydrogen-bonded decyloxystilbazole complexes studied display enantiotropic smectic A or nematic mesophases. The single crystal X-ray diffraction structure of trans-[PdI(2)(CNC(6)H(4)COOH)(2)].C(4)H(8)O(2) has been determined and confirms the formation of a supramolecular array in the solid state supported by hydrogen-bonding.