Effect of chiral isosorbide groups on mesomorphic properties of side-chain liquid-crystalline polysiloxanes

Chiral side-chain liquid-crystalline (LC) polysiloxanes containing isosorbide groups were graft copolymerised with poly(methylhydrogeno)siloxane, a chiral LC monomer 6-(4-methoxy-benzoyloxy)-hexahydro-furo[3,2-b]furan-3-yl 4'-(4-undec-10-enoyloxy-benzoyloxy)-biphenyl-4-yl adipate and a nematic LC monomer 4'-(4-methoxy-benzoyloxy)-biphenyl-4-yl 4-(2-undec-10-enoyloxy-ethoxy)-benzoate. The chemical structures and LC properties of the monomers and polymers were characterised by use of various experimental techniques including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ¹H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), element analyses (EA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarised optical microscopy (POM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). All the chiral LC polymers showed LC properties with very wide mesophase temperature ranges and the chiral component in the LC polymer systems lead to the appearance of a cholesteric phase. The polymers bearing most chiral LC monomer component showed smectic phases by reason of regular structures in the polymer systems. With the increase of another nematic LC monomer in the polymers, the regular polymer structures were destroyed because of different chemical structures between the two kinds of LC monomers, leading to the disappearance of the smectic arrangement.     

Amide, urea and thiourea-containing triphenylene derivatives: influence of H-bonding on mesomorphic properties

The synthesis and thermotropic properties are reported for a series of hexaalkoxytriphenylenes that contain an amide, urea or thiourea group in one of their alkoxy tails. The intermolecular hydrogen bonding abilities of these molecules have a disturbing influence on the formation and stability of the columnar liquid crystalline phases. The stronger the hydrogen bonding the more the liquid crystallinity is suppressed, probably due to disturbance of the π-π stacking of the triphenylene discs. As a direct result, urea- and amide-containing triphenylene derivatives are not liquid crystalline, but several thiourea derivatives show hexagonal columnar mesophases.     

Influence of branched chains on the mesomorphic properties of symmetrical and unsymmetrical triphenylene discotic liquid crystals

A series of novel symmetrical and unsymmetrical triphenylene‐based discotic liquid crystalline materials with one or six branched peripheral alkoxy chains have been prepared. These materials have been compared with analogous known symmetrical and unsymmetrical compounds to reveal a balance between steric and space‐filling effects of the peripheral branched chains, which significantly affects intermolecular forces of attraction and packing, and hence affects melting and isotropisation temperatures of the liquid crystalline materials. The desired result of reduction of melting points and enhancement of isotropisation temperatures has been accomplished by use of branched alkoxy chains in both symmetrical and unsymmetrical materials.     

Synthesis and mesomorphic properties of chiral fluorinated liquid crystals

Some fluorinated chiral liquid crystals were synthesized and the compounds characterized by IR, ¹H NMR, ¹⁹F NMR and mass spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Their phase transition behaviour was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and polarizing optical microscopy. Nearly all of the compounds synthesized are liquid crystals with an enantiotropic cholesteric phase. Some of them exhibit a blue phase. Lateral tetrafluoro substitution decreases the clearing point and molecular polarity affects the formation of liquid crystalline phases.     

Synthesis and mesomorphic properties of chiral fluorinated liquid crystals

Some fluorinated chiral liquid crystals were synthesized and the compounds characterized by IR, ¹H NMR, ¹⁹F NMR and mass spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Their phase transition behaviour was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and polarizing optical microscopy. Nearly all of the compounds synthesized are liquid crystals with an enantiotropic cholesteric phase. Some of them exhibit a blue phase. Lateral tetrafluoro substitution decreases the clearing point and molecular polarity affects the formation of liquid crystalline phases.     

Synthesis and mesomorphic properties of chiral nematic liquid crystals based on cholesterol

A new series of mesogenic compounds having a cholesteryl moiety has been synthesised by condensing p-amino benzoate of cholesterol and methoxy substituted 4-n-alkoxy cinnamoyl chlorides and their liquid crystalline properties has been studied. All the members of the series are enantiotropic and exhibit chiral nematic (N*) mesophase. The plot of transition temperatures versus number of carbon atoms in the alkoxy chain exhibits odd–even effect and falling tendency for N*–isotropic transition temperatures. The compounds exhibit oily streak textures that on slight disturbance change to the plane textures and show iridescent colours. High anisotropy, linearity and intermolecular hydrogen bonding confer rich mesomorphic properties on the system. Intermolecular hydrogen bonding arising from amide linkage can lead to supramolecular motifs.     

A convenient synthesis and the mesomorphic properties of new chiral ferroelectric thiobenzoates

A secondary chiral (R)-(?)-2-alcohol underwent the Mitsunobu reaction with triphenylphosphine, diethyl azodicarboxylate and ethyl 4-hydroxybiphenylcarboxylate, resulting in the desired (S)-(+)-product with high enantiomeric purity (>99% ee), with the chiral branched chain attached to the biphenyl. This method is operationally simple and provides the very important chiral precursor in good yields (62% in dry THF and 72% in dry Et₂O). The condensation of the (S)-(+)-acid chloride from this material and a suitable 4-n-alkylthiophenol in toluene in the presence of pyridine or triethylamine furnishes the chiral (S)-(+)-thiobenzoate liquid crystals in good yields (80–83% in pyridine and 65–68% in Et₃N). (S)-(+)-4-(1-Methylheptyloxy)biphenyl 4-alkylthiobenzoates are abbreviated (S)-MHOBSn , where n varies from 4 to 10 and denotes the number of carbon atoms in the alkyl chain. DSC, polarizing microscopy and X-ray diffraction showed that the (S)-MHOBSn series possesses a rich phase polymorphism: two highly ordered tilted phases CrG* and SmI*, as well as the ferroelectric smectic C (SmC*) and chiral nematic (N*) phase. In this series, the seldom observed transition between the chiral phases SmI*–SmC* is seen. All the compounds possess stable enantiotropic SmC* and N* phases. The existence of weak intermolecular hydrogen-bonding in (S)-MHOBSn was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy.     

Syntheses and mesomorphic properties of novel triphenylene liquid crystals with 15-crown-5 unit as side-chain

Two novel triphenylene liquid crystals with 15-crown-5 unit as side-chain 4a and 4b were designed and synthesised by simple procedures in ideal yields. Their structures were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H NMR), electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and elemental analysis. Their liquid-crystalline behaviours before and after complexation with metallic salts were studied by differential scanning calorimetry, polarising optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Neat compounds 4a and 4b show mesophase with triphenylene column, while complexes of 4a and 4b with metallic salts exhibit no mesophase but higher melting point.     

Effect of alkyl chain length in the terminal ester group on mesomorphic properties of new chiral lactic acid derivatives

Two series of new liquid crystalline lactic acid derivatives with a terminal ester group have been synthesised. The effect of this ester unit and the length of its alkyl chain on the mesomorphic and dielectric properties of the compounds exhibiting a broad temperature range of chiral smectic phases have been studied. We found that the mesomorphic behaviour and phase transition temperatures are strongly affected by the molecular architecture. Depending on the alkyl chain length in the terminal ester unit, the studied materials exhibited paraelectric smectic A*, ferroelectric tilted smectic C* and antiferroelectric smectic C_A* phases over a broad temperature range. The physical properties of the compounds have been studied by optical polarising microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, electro-optic measurements, small-angle X-ray scattering and dielectric spectroscopy. Furthermore, the homologues with short terminal alkyl chains showed a very small layer shrinkage at the transition from the orthogonal SmA* to the tilted SmC* phase, which is a characteristic feature of ‘de Vries-type’ behaviour.     

Synthesis and mesomorphic properties of chiral liquid crystals having thiolactate groups

A homologous series of chiral thiolactate liquid crystals, alkyl 2-[4-(4-decyloxyphenyl)benzoyloxyphenyloxy]thiopropionates, ADBPT-n (n=2-6), was prepared from (R)-2-(4-hydroxyphenoxy)propionic acid. Structural effects on the mesomorphic and physical properties were investigated in terms of variation in the length of alkyl chain attached to the thiolactate group. The mesophases and their corresponding transition temperatures were identified by polarizing optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Compound ADBPT-4 exhibited SmA* and SmC* phases, whereas other compounds in the series exhibited the SmA* phase along with unidentified SmX₁* and SmX₂* phases. The maximum P_s value measured for ADBPT-4 in the SmC* phase was 17.5 nC cm^-2, suggesting the polarization of the material is rather low. The tilt angles were also measured, reaching a maximum of 48 degree.     

Oxadiazole-based unsymmetrical chiral liquid crystal dimers: synthesis and mesomorphic properties

The synthesis and liquid crystalline properties of novel chiral Schiff's base dimers containing the 1,3,4-oxadiazole ring are reported. The length of the terminal S-alkyl chain has been varied. All the compounds synthesised were thermally stable and exhibited enantiotropic mesomorphism, showing either SmC*–SmA–TGB–N*–BP or SmC*–SmA phase sequence.     

Influence of peripheral alkyl chain length on the mesomorphic behaviours of hexasubstituted triphenylene 2,3-dicarboxylic esters

A comparative study of our established synthetic approaches to hexasubsituted triphenylenes 2,3-dicarboxylic esters containing four identical β-alkoxy and two adjacent β-alkoxycarbonyl side chains shows that the phase behaviours of small-sized discotic liquid crystals can be tailored over a wide range by simply varying the length of the peripheral alkyl chains. All the prepared esters in two series were observed to form a single hexagonal columnar phase, except for Tp4-1 having four β-butyloxy and two adjacent β-methoxycarbonyl chains which displays two columnar mesophase behaviours with a transition from the columnar plastic phase to hexagonal columnar phase. A significant difference between the two mesophase was observed in the variable temperature X-ray diffraction studies, and the mesophase assignment was also confirmed by polarising optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Moreover, the prepared esters in each series display the general trend of decreasing clearing temperature upon increasing alkoxy or alkoxycarbonyl chains length. The intermediate triphenylene 2,3-dicarboxylic acids were also found not only to exhibit columnar hexagonal mesophase over a narrower temperature range by maintaining high melting and clearing points but also to form organogel on mixing with toluene or dichloromethane with the assistance of hydrogen bonding.     

Synthesis and mesomorphic properties of some new chiral thiobenzoates containing three rings

Six new compounds with chiral terminal chains and three rings bridged via the -COS- and -COO- groups have been synthesized. Three of them belong to series A and have two benzene rings and one bicyclo[2,2,2]octane, while the remaining three come from series B, where all three are benzene rings. Series A compounds share a characteristic feature of two smectic phases: SmA* and SmB*, whereas mesogens from the B series exhibit only the one SmA* phase.     

Synthesis and mesomorphic properties of chiral swallow-tailed thioester liquid crystals with lateral substituents

Two homologous series of chiral swallow-tailed thioester materials, 1-ethylpropyl (R)-2-[3-fluoro-4-(4'-alkyloxybiphenylcarbonylthio)phenoxy]propionates, I-6 (m = 8-12), and 1-ethylpropyl (R)-2-[3-methyl-4-(4'-alkyloxybiphenylcarbonylthio)phenoxy]propionates, II-6 (m = 8-12), have been synthesized and their mesomorphic phases studied. The results show that materials I-6 (m = 8-12) with a fluoro substituent, display the phase sequence I-BPII-N*-SmC*-Cr, whereas materials II-6 (m = 8-12) with a methyl substituent display the phase sequence I-N*-TGBA*-SmA*-Cr during cooling. The physical properties of the SmC* phase in materials I-6 were measured. The results show that the maximum P _s values are in the range 91-95 nC cm^-2 and the maximum tilt angles are about 34-37°.     

Synthesis and mesomorphic properties of a new chiral series with a heterocycle in the molecular core

We report a number of different homologous series with a heterocycle incorporated in the molecular core near the chiral chain. Two of these series differ in the type of chiral chain, -CH*(CH 3 )C 6 H 13 or -CH*(CH 3 )-CO 2 -C 4 H 9 . Their properties are compared and found to show completely different polymorphism. The first series exhibits only SmC* and SmA phases whereas the second possesses TGB, N* and BP phases. The mesomorphic properties were studied by optical microscopy, DSC and electro-optical measurements. The effect of substitution of the phenyl ring near the chiral chain by a heterocycle is discussed.     

The influence of methoxy side groups and halogen nature on the mesomorphic and optical properties of symmetrical azomethines

The preparation, characterisation, thermotropic and optical properties of low-molecular azomethines with or without methoxy side group are described in this paper. The azomethine compounds were synthesised by condensation reaction of o-dianisidine/benzidine with para-halogen substituted benzaldehyde. Their properties were analysed by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry analysis, polarised optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction and optical spectroscopy. The azomethines present liquid crystalline behaviour with large mesophase range and high thermal stability. The compounds without lateral methoxy groups showed smectic A phase, while those with methoxy groups exhibited only nematic phase. The effect of methoxy group and different terminal substituents on the mesomorphic behaviour, molecular and optical properties was estimated in terms of parameters such as molecular polarisability, dipole moment, interdigitation parameter and axial ratio.     

Synthesis and mesomorphic properties of a new chiral series with a heterocycle in the molecular core

We report a number of different homologous series with a heterocycle incorporated in the molecular core near the chiral chain. Two of these series differ in the type of chiral chain, -CH*(CH₃)C₆H₁₃ or -CH*(CH₃)-CO₂-C₄H₉. Their properties are compared and found to show completely different polymorphism. The first series exhibits only SmC* and SmA phases whereas the second possesses TGB, N* and BP phases. The mesomorphic properties were studied by optical microscopy, DSC and electro-optical measurements. The effect of substitution of the phenyl ring near the chiral chain by a heterocycle is discussed.     

手性冠醚的研究进展

对近几年来的手性大环冠醚化合物的合成及应用研究进展作了较为全面的综述。以合成手性大环化合物的起始手性源为依据,对其进行分类,并分子介绍其合成方法;其次,介绍了手性冠醚的三个主要应用方面：(1)对映异构体的手性识别与拆分;(2)不对称催化作用;(3)离子选择性配位与萃取。     

Optical and mesomorphic properties characterisation of chiral liquid crystalline copolysiloxane exhibiting cholesteric and blue phases

A series of liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) have been synthesised by two cholesteric monomers M₁, M₂ and a nematic monomer M₃. The chemical structures and liquid crystalline properties of the monomers and polymers have been characterised by FTIR, ¹H-NMR, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analyses, X-ray diffraction measurements and polarising optical microscopy. All LCPs show a high thermal stability with wide mesophase temperature ranges. For polymer P₁ bearing only cholesteric LC monomers component, it shows a cholesteric phase, whereas others display a blue phase besides a cholesteric phase. The formation of the blue phase is based on the structures of the polymers and the produced biaxial helix. The glass transition temperature and isotropic temperature of the polymers decrease on heating cycle with increasing the content of M₃ in the polymers. The specific rotation values of the polymers are temperature-sensitive. The reflection spectra of polymers P₁–P₆ show that the maximum reflected wavelengths shift to long wavelength with increasing the content of M₃ in the polymer systems. The frequency and intensity of the bands change sharply at the temperature where cholesteric phase changes to blue phase, but they show a weak dependence on temperature in the blue phase.