Asymmetric oxadiazole mesogens as candidates for low-temperature biaxial nematics

We report the synthesis and properties of a homologous series of asymmetric, mesogenic derivatives of 2,5-bis-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (ODBP). Benzyloxy (BnO-), alkoxy benzoate ester derivatives BnO-ODBP-Ph-O-C _n , where n?=?4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, were studied by ²H-NMR, X-ray diffraction and polarising microscopy in order to ascertain if the lower temperature nematic phases exhibited biaxiality. Deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) of labelled probes in these asymmetric mesogens does not show evidence of biaxiality. The absence of biaxiality is discussed in terms of the statistical non-linearity of these asymmetric ODBP mesogens.     

Search for nematic biaxiality in bent-core mesogens: an X-ray diffraction perspective

ABSTRACT

Since its theoretical prediction in 1970, the search for the biaxial nematic phase in thermotropic systems has challenged generations of liquid crystal scientists. Over the last 10 years, bent-core mesogens have drawn much interest as promising candidates for nematic biaxiality. However, despite a number of disputed claims, conclusive evidence of proper (spontaneous and macroscopic) biaxial order in these materials is still missing. By contrast, it is now widely recognised that biaxiality exists on a local scale, in the form of nano-sized clusters of molecules (cybotactic groups) possessing smectic-like positional order and biaxial orientational order. This article provides a review of X-ray diffraction studies on biaxiality and cybotaxis in bent-core nematics, discussing the most relevant issues related to this research field.     

The twist-bend nematic phase: molecular insights from a generalised Maier–Saupe theory

ABSTRACT

Bent-shaped liquid crystal dimers exhibit a non-conventional nematic phase, which in the last few years has been actively investigated. A structural model of this phase has been proposed, which is characterised by a helical modulation with a periodicity of the order of few molecular lengths. Such a model, which is generally denoted as twist-bend nematic (N_TB), is consistent with various experimental evidences and is supported by theories and simulations. Here, we will examine in more detail the features and the implications of a generalised Maier–Saupe theory, which was recently proposed to explain the origin and structure of the N_TB phase. In particular we will analyse the relevant molecular order parameters, with special attention to the polar and biaxial ones, and we will discuss the concept of ‘tilted director’, which may give rise to some ambiguity. The phase behaviour will be described as a function of the bend angle between the mesogenic moieties of a dimer, which in the generalised Maier–Saupe theory is the key molecular feature. Extension of the theory to include fluctuations of the bend angle will allow us to examine the effect of the molecular flexibility on the phase diagram.     

Biaxial nematics: symmetries,order domains and field-induced phase transitions †

We studied the symmetry and spatial uniformity of the orientational order of the biaxial nematic phase in the light of recent experimental observations of phase biaxiality in thermotropic bent-core and calamitic-tetramer nematics. Evidence is presented supporting monoclinic symmetry, instead of the usually assumed orthorhombic symmetry. The use of deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance to differentiate between the possible symmetries is described. The spatial aspects of biaxial order are presented in the context of the cluster model, wherein macroscopic biaxiality can result from the field-induced alignment of biaxial and possibly polar domains. The implications of different symmetries on the alignment of biaxial nematics and on the measurements of biaxial order are discussed in conjunction with the microdomain structure of the biaxial phase.     

几种极性有机晶体的生长习性与形成机理 2: 分子堆积、界面结构与晶体的习性

极性有机晶体在不同的溶剂中具有明显不同的生长习性, 主要有两个方面的原因: 一是极性有机晶体属非中心对称性晶类, 晶体具有极轴, 极轴的存在对分子堆积和晶体生长具有重要影响; 另一是极性有机晶体的界面结构不同, 溶剂与晶体界面的相互作用不同, 使得晶体同一面族的生长速率不同, 从而导致了晶体习性的改变。本文从几种典型极性有机晶体的分子排列和结构特征出发, 着重探讨了极性有机晶体的界面结构的差异对晶体习性的影响; 结合晶体生长界面与溶剂分子的相互作用进一步理解了晶体生长的溶剂效应; 通过理解极性有机晶体的习性机制, 探讨了晶体实际形态的控制。     

Landau theory for uniaxial nematic,biaxial nematic,uniaxial smectic-A,and biaxial smectic-A phases

We use the Landau theory of phase transitions to obtain the global phase diagram concerning the uniaxial nematic, biaxial nematic, uniaxial smectic-A and biaxial smectic-A phases. The transition between the biaxial nematic and biaxial smectic is continuous as well as the transition between the nematic phases and the transition between the smectic phases. The transition from uniaxial nematic and uniaxial smectic is continuous with a tricritical point. The tricritical point may be absent and the entire transition becomes continuous. The four phases meet at a tetracritical point.     

Semiclassical self-consistent field perturbation theory for the hydrogen atom in a magnetic field

A recently developed perturbation theory for solving self-consistent field equations is applied to the hydrogen atom in a strong magnetic field. This system has been extensively studied using other methods and is therefore a good test case for the new method. The perturbation theory yields summable large-order expansions. The accuracy of the self-consistent field approximation varies according to field strength and quantum state but is often higher than the accuracy from adiabatic approximations. A new derivation is presented for the asymptotic adiabatic approximation, the most useful of the adiabatic approaches. This derivation uses semiclassical perturbation theory without invoking an adiabatic hypothesis. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 69: 183–192, 1998     

Twist-bend nematics,liquid crystal dimers,structure–property relations

ABSTRACT

One of the current challenges in liquid crystal science is to understand the molecular factors leading to the formation of the intriguing twist-bend nematic phase (N_TB) and determine its properties. During our earlier hunt for the N_TB phase created on cooling directly from the isotropic phase and not the nematic phase, we had prepared 30 symmetric liquid crystal dimers. These had odd spacers and methylene links to the two mesogenic groups; desirable but clearly not essential features for the formation of the N_TB. Here, we report the phases that the dimers exhibit and their transition temperatures as functions of both the lengths of the spacer and the terminal chains. In addition we describe the transitional entropies, their optical textures, the X-ray scattering patterns and the ²H NMR spectra employed in characterising the phases. All of which may lead to important properties of the twist-bend nematic phase.     

Observation of disordered mesomorphism in three-ring-based highly polar bent-core molecules: design,synthesis and characterisation

Research on low-temperature polar bent-core nematogens having lower molecular weight has gathered appreciable momentum by virtue of their significance in potential applications. However, the lack of availability and easy-to-perform synthesis processes appears to be the bottleneck towards their fabrication and thereby limiting their possible device applications. Hence, we have designed a new class of achiral symmetrical three-ring-based-bent shaped molecules incorporating an imine and ester linkage at the molecular bend with highly polar nitro/cyano terminal moiety exhibiting low-temperature nematic mesmorphism. The occurrence of disordered nematic mesomorphism has been confirmed by optical texture, differential scanning calorimetry scan and X-ray diffraction measurement. Dielectric spectroscopy and electro-optical investigation has also been carried out intending towards the potential applicability of the materials. Density functional theory analyses at the molecular level provide valuable information regarding the formation of the nematic mesophase and various parameters of the molecular spatial arrangement. Polarising optical microscopy study reveals the easy of alignment of these types of polar bent-core materials upon glass surface suitable for liquid-crystal-based sensing applications. Formation of mesophase with such a small bent molecule is rather difficult but we have successfully demonstrated the existence of disordered nematic mesomorphism at relatively low temperature.     

Quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical self-consistent Madelung potential method for treatment of polar molecular crystals

The self-consistent Madelung potential (SCMP) approach for calculating molecular wave functions for a subunit embedded in a symmetrical environment constituted by the copies of the subunit is implemented with semiempirical NDDO model Hamiltonians and supplemented with empirically parameterized dispersion–repulsion interaction potentials. This model yields sublimation enthalpies in good agreement with available experimental data for a series of molecular crystals, including imidazol, benzimidazole, urea, urethane, dicyaneamide, formamide, uracil, cytosine, maleic anhydride, succinic anhydride, and 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitro-benzene. The SCMP-NDDO method, which avoids difficulties concerning the parametrization of charges in the molecular mechanics force fields, is proposed mainly for the treatment of molecular crystals with large unit cells. It might be particularly useful where important charge reorganization is expected under the effect of the crystal field. Charge distributions, obtained by the SCMP and the simple dielectric cavity self-consistent reaction field models, are compared and analyzed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 19: 38–50, 1998     

Boundary conditions in the theory of the relaxation field

The perturbationf _ji ^' generated by an external field in the distribution function is derived by integration of the Onsager-Fuoss equation of continuity. The solution isf _ji ^' (r)=C(I+Ah₁+Bh₂) whereCI is a particular integral andh ₁ andh ₂ are solutions of the homogeneous equation. The physical significance of the boundary conditions which evaluate the constantsA andB is discussed. It is then shown that the conditionf _ji ^' () 0 requiresB=0 and that the condition lim(f _ji ^' /n²) 0 at zero concentration is satisfied if and only ifA=–1.     

Applications of self-consistent field theory in polymer systems

1Introduction Owing to the specificity of the long chain,polymers present complexity and versatility.These molecules in the system can be various in their topological struc-tures,such as linear,star,comb or circle structures;meanwhile they can be polymeri…     

Fuzzy Symmetries for Linear Molecules and their Molecular Orbitals

In this paper, the fuzzy symmetry of some prototypical linear molecules has been analyzed. The results show that some molecular orbitals (MOs) are less symmetrical but some others are more symmetrical than the molecular skeleton, which the MOs correspond to. The membership functions of space inversion for MOs are closely related to the chemical characteristics of the MOs. Sometimes, although the symmetry of a molecular skeleton is not obvious, however that of some MO is quite obvious. The membership functions of the fuzzy inversion symmetry depend on the choice of the position of the center of inversion. As compared to those of diatomic molecules and linear tri-atomic molecules, the linear polyatomic molecules in which a distinctive fuzzy symmetry of space translation may exist, and thus a significant effect on their properties can be expected.     

键能的分子轨道理论研究 1: 理论公式

从LCAO-MO出发, 给出了一个计算键能的近似方法, 即EAB(i)-∑∑CaiSabCbiεi为第i个占据分子轨道(MO)中的一对电子对A-B键键能的贡献。对所有分子轨道求和即为该键的键能: EAB=∑EAB(i)。按该方法, 不仅可以计算各种不同分子中每两个相键连原子间的键能, 还可以从MO及AO角度分析每一具体键, 如σ, π, δ键的键能以及各AO对键能的贡献。该方法虽有别于求键焓和平衡离解能De, 但计算结果和De的实验值甚相符合。通过对键能的分析研究, 能较好地揭示原子间的相互作用关系及化学键的强弱, 从而可进一步探讨化学反应活性, 反应速率等化学性质。     

Intrinsic field theory of chemical reactions

An intrinsic principle of least action is presented for the intrinsic dynamism of chemical reactions. Then, as the stationary trajectory, a meta-IRC (intrinsic reaction coordinate) draws a geodesic curve in a rigged Riemannian space. This establishes a geodesic law for the intrinsic dynamism. Moreover, a diagrammatic perturbation theory is formulated for the intrinsic dynamism, and a dynamical interaction between a chemically reacting system and a background system is investigated. Then, the structural stability of the system is discussed using a new concept of the dynamical potential field. An example is given in order to elucidate the present theory.Dedicated to Prof. Hermann Hartmann on the occasion of his 65th birthday.     

The solubility modelling of non-polar gases in polar and non-polar solvent based on scaled particle theory by artificial neural network

In this work, the effective parameters of the scaled particle theory (SPT) are used as the input to the artificial neural network (ANN) to calculate as the output, the solubility (mole fraction of gas in liquid phase) of non-polar gases in polar and non-polar solvents at 298.15?K and 101.325?kPa. It has been found that ANN used in this work should has five neurons in the hidden layer to achieve the least error. The results of ANN have been compared with the experimental values. The results of this comparison are quite satisfactory. The average relative deviations of the simulations in training and testing stages have been calculated 0.92% and 0.89%, respectively. Finally, the results of ANN were compared with the results of SPT. According to this comparison, it is clear that SPT as a thermodynamic model predicts the solubility of the studied gases in the solvents with the same accuracy of ANN which is a purely mathematical model.     

一个处理共轭分子光谱的近似公式

运用一维势箱模型结合Hückel简单分子轨道理论,提出了一个预测共轭多烯烃吸收光谱的简便公式。将该公式用于处理并苯和石墨烯,解释了石墨烯和石墨导电以及π∞∞键具有金属键的特性。     

Force field evaluation for biomolecular simulation: free enthalpies of solvation of polar and apolar compounds in various solvents.

Recently, the GROMOS biomolecular force field parameter set 53A6--which has been parametrized to reproduce experimentally determined free enthalpies of hydration and solvation in cyclohexane of amino acid side-chain analogs--was presented. To investigate the transferability of the new parameter set, we calculated free enthalpies of solvation of a range of polar and apolar compounds in different solvents (methanol, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), acetonitrile, and acetone) from molecular dynamics simulations using the GROMOS 53A6 force field. For methanol and DMSO, parameters were used that are available in the 53A6 parameter set. For acetonitrile, a recently developed model was taken and for acetone, two models available in literature were used. We found that trends in and values for the solvation free enthalpies are in satisfactory agreement with experiment, except for the solvation in acetone for which deviations from experiment can be explained in terms of the properties of the models used.