A simple electro-optic technique for studying the electroclinic effect in the smectic A* phase

The critical behaviour of the electroclinic response in the chiral smectic A* phase in the vicinity of the second-order smectic A* to smectic C* phase-transition temperature has been investigated using a new electro-optic technique. The temperature variation of the electroclinic coefficient, the relaxation frequency and the coefficient of the quartic term in the tilt angle in the Landau free energy expansion have been studied. The electroclinic coefficient diverges with decreasing temperature as the smectic A* to smectic C* phase-transition temperature is approached with a critical exponent, as predicted in the mean field Landau theory. The measured quartic coefficient varies strongly with temperature, contrary to the usual assumptions of the mean field Landau theory.     

Liquid crystal dimers possessing chiral rod-like anisometric segments: synthesis, characterization and electro-optic behaviour

Several new optically active liquid crystal dimers comprising pro-mesogenic cholesterol and a chiral diphenylacetylene (tolane) segment, covalently linked in an end-to-end fashion through a flexible spacer, have been synthesized and investigated for their mesomorphic behaviour with the aid of optical, calorimetric and X-ray diffraction studies. Five unsymmetrical dimers, designed on the basis of recent work, involve molecular structural variations of the tolane mesogenic entity with a view to stabilizing a wide thermal range smectic A (SmA) phase featuring the electroclinic effect. Three different chiral chains, namely, (S)-1-methylheptyloxy, (S)-2-methylbutyloxy, (3S)-3,7-dimethyloctyloxy, with or without polar (nitro or fluoro) lateral substituents, were incorporated, while keeping the length (C₆) of the spacer constant. As expected, all the dimers exhibited a SmA phase. A few also showed chiral nematic (N*) and/or twist grain boundary and/or chiral smectic C (SmC*) phases. Remarkably, some of these oligomesogens, upon melting, had a stable SmA phase over a wide thermal interval (100-150°C); this state seems to be stable for a long period of time. Electro-optic studies, including optical tilt angle as well as temporal response as a function of temperature, were carried out in the SmA phase. The SmC* phase was also investigated for its electrical switching and optical tilt angle, as well as spontaneous polarization as a function of temperature. These studies showed that the mesophase response to an applied field is weak and is independent of variations in the dimer investigated.     

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.     

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.     

Synthesis and mesomorphic properties of 4-alkylamino-4'-substituted diphenyldiacetylenes

Various substituted aminodiphenyldiacetylenes of the type with X = C₃H₇, C₅H₁₁, F or NO₂ and R, R' = H, CH₃-C₆H₁₃ were synthesized and their mesomorphic properties determined. Semi-empirical and ab initio quantum chemical calculations using AM1, 421G and 631G* suggested that the amino group would increase the dielectric anisotropy and optical birefringence as compared to the alkyl chain. Mesomorphic properties were found to be poor with the maximum nematic phase range being 44.8°C and many of the compounds having no nematic phase. Both melting temperatures and enthalpies for those having nematic phases were too high to form good eutectic mixtures.     

The first series of ferroelectric steroidal fluorinated liquid crystals

A series of cholesteryl p-perfluoroalkylphenyl carbonate (CPC) [C₂₇H₄₅OCO₂C₆H₄(CF₂)_nF, n=1,4,6,8] liquid crystals was synthesized and their phase transition behaviours were studied. The results show that the compounds containing a not too long perfluoroalkyl chain (n=6,8) have monotropic chiral smectic C phases.     

Experimental and theoretical study of the influence of a bias electric field on the dielectric properties of the chiral smectic A* phase

The influence of a bias electric field on the temperature and frequency dependence of the soft mode part of the complex dielectric constant of the chiral smectic A* phase has been studied experimentally. It was found that only close to T_S*CS*A does the bias field have any influence on the experimentally determined quantities. Here the relaxation frequency increased with increasing bias field, while the corresponding dielectric strength decreases. We also present a theoretical calculation of the influence of a bias field on the complex dielectric constant of the chiral smectic A* phase which, apart from minor details, is in accordance with the observed behaviour. Finally we discuss how the nature of the electroclinic effect can be correlated with the influence of the bias field on the smectic A* dielectric constant.     

Homochiral cyclopentane-based C1-symmetric P,P ligands C5H8(PPh2)(PR2) from C2-symmetric C5H8(PCl2)2

Treatment of 1,2-trans-C₅H₈(PCl₂)₂ with 1,2-C₂H₄(NHPr-i)₂ gave the C₂-symmetric perhydro-1,6,2,5-diazaphosphocine C₅H₈{P(Cl)N(Pr-i)CH₂}₂-cyclo, which produced dissymmetric C₅H₈(PPh₂){P[N(Pr-i)CH₂]₂-cyclo} on further reaction with PhMgBr. Cleavage of the P---N bonds with gaseous HCl afforded C₅H₈(PPh₂)(PCl₂), which was converted to C₅H₈(PPh₂){P(OPh)₂}₂ by reaction with phenol. All chiral P,P derivatives were obtained as racemates as well as resolved (1R,2R)- and (1S,2S)-enantiomers.     

Mesogenic Unsymmetric dimers containing cholesteryl ester and tolane moieties

Among unsymmetric oligomesogens, chiral dimers formed by connecting a cholesteryl ester fragment with various aromatic mesogenic cores through a polymethylene spacer have been attracting much attention due to their remarkable thermal behaviour. In particular, dimers containing a diphenylacetylene segment having an alkoxy chain have shown interesting mesomorphic behaviour. In view of this a new series of unsymmetric dimers consisting of a diphenylacetylene moiety having an alkyl chain and a cholesteryl ester unit joined through a paraffinic spacer have been synthesized and their liquid crystalline properties characterized. The lengths of the central methylene spacer (C₃, C₄, C₅ and C₇) as well as that of the alkyl chain (n-butyl, n-pentyl, n-hexyl and n-heptyl) have been varied to establish structure-property relationships. These investigations have revealed that all the dimers exhibit smectic A, twist grain boundary and chiral neamtic (N*) phases with the exception of one of the dimers for which only the N* phase was observed. Some differences in the mesomorphic properties of the unsymmetric dimers containing odd or even parity methylene spacers have been observed. The majority of dimers having an even (C₄) parity paraffinic spacer show a blue phase while the dimers with odd (C₃, C₅ and C₇) parity spacers exhibit the chiral smectic (SmC*) phase. In some cases, the SmC* phase exists well below (-60°C) and above room temperature.     

Thermotropic liquid crystalline comb-like polymers with polyacrylamide main chain. (2) Influence of the nature of the substituents of the biphenyl mesogenic core

Comb-like polymers with polyacrylamide main chains and three types of lipophilic biphenyl side chains have been synthesized and their thermotropic behaviour has been determined. All the polymers exhibit two smectic mesophases as a function of temperature, but the nature of the smectic mesophases is governed by the nature of the substituent R of the biphenyl core. For R = H, the polymers exhibit a double layer, ordered, tilted smectic S_i2 and a double layer, disordered, tilted smectic S_c2. For R = CN, the polymers exhibit a double layer, disordered, tilted smectic S_c2 and a double layer, disordered, perpendicular smectic S_A2. For R = O-CH₂-CH(CH₃)-C₂H₅, the polymers exhibit a double layer, ordered, tilted smectic S_f2 and a double layer, disordered, tilted smectic S_c2, these two structures being chiral when the substituent R is chiral. Comparison of the thermotropic behaviour of the polyacrylamide polymers with that of polymers with the same mesogenic cores but different main chains shows the high smectogenic power of the polyacrylamide skeleton.     

Thermal decomposition study on mixed ligand thymine complexes of divalent nickel(II) with dianions of some dicarboxylic acids

Thermal decomposition of mixed ligand thymine (2,4-dihydroxy-5-methylpyrimidine) complexes of divalent Ni(II) with aspartate, glutamate and ADA (N-2-acetamido)iminodiacetate dianions was monitored by TG, DTG and DTA analysis in static atmosphere of air. The decomposition course and steps of complexes [Ni(C₅H₆N₂O₂)(C₄H₅NO₄)²⁻(H₂O)₂]·H₂O, [Ni(C₅H₆N₂O₂)(C₅H₇NO₄)²⁻(H₂O)₂]·H₂O and [Ni(C₅H₆N₂O₂)(C₆H₈N₂O₅)²⁻(H₂O)₂]·1.5H₂O were analyzed. The final decomposition products are found to be the corresponding metal oxides. The kinetic parameters namely, activation energy (E*), enthalpy (ΔH*), entropy (ΔS*) and free energy change of decomposition (ΔG*) are calculated from the TG curves using Coats–Redfern and Horowitz–Metzger equations. The stability order found for these complexes follows the trend aspartate > ADA > glutamate.     

Microscopic origin of spontaneous polarization in ferroelectric SC* liquid crystals

The origin of spontaneous polarization in the ferroelectric smectic C* phase is investigated within a mean-field microscopic model which describes the coupling between the tilt of molecules from the normal to the smectic layers and the rotation of a molecule around its long axis. The mean-field potential is studied which takes into account a chiral polar and a non-chiral quadrupolar biasing of the rotation of molecules around the molecular long axes. Each molecule is characterized by three transverse molecular axes: the chiral axis which turns parallel to the macroscopic C₂ axis at small tilts, the polar axis in the direction of the transverse dipole moment and the quadrupolar axis which tends to be parallel to the C₂ axis at very large tilts. A numerical analysis of the model shows that there are four different types of spontaneous polarization dependent on the temperature, including the sign-reversal type. The influence of three microscopic parameters, i.e. two angles between the three characteristic axes and the relative strength of the chiral versus the non-chiral biasing, on the type of spontaneous polarization is investigated. The relationship between the microscopic and the equivalent Landau model is established and discussed.     

2,4-二硫代尿嘧啶的紫外吸收光谱和共振拉曼光谱

硫代嘧啶碱基是光动力疗法潜在的重要光敏剂,其最低单重激发态的光物理研究已有广泛报道。然而,其较高激发态的跃迁性质和反应动力学研究较为稀少。因此,本文采用共振拉曼光谱和密度泛函理论计算方法研究2,4-二硫代尿嘧啶的紫外光谱和几个较高单重激发态的短时结构动力学。首先,基于共振拉曼光谱强度与电子吸收带振子强度f的关系,将紫外光谱去卷积成四个吸收带,分别为358 nm(f=0.0336)中等强度吸收带(A带),338 nm(f=0.1491)、301 nm(f=0.1795)和278 nm(f=0.3532)强而宽的吸收带(B、C和D带)。这一结果既吻合密度泛函理论计算结果,又符合共振拉曼光谱强度模式对紫外光谱带的预期。据此,去卷积得到的四个吸收带被分别指认为S0→S2跃迁、S0→S6跃迁、S0→S7跃迁和S_0→S_8跃迁。同时,分别对B,C和D带共振拉曼光谱进行了详细的指认,获得了短时动力学信息。结果表明,S_8态短时动力学的显著特征是在Franck-Condon区域或附近发生了S8(ππ~*)/S(nπ~*)势能面交叉引发的、伴随超快结构扭转的非绝热过程。S7和S6态短时动力学的主要特征是反应坐标的多维性,它们分别沿C_5C_6/C_2S_8/C_4S_(10)/N_2C_3+C_4N_3H_9/N_1C_2N_3/C_2N_1C_6/C_6N_1H_7/C_5C_6H_(12)和C_5C_6/N_3C_2/C_4S_(10)/C_2S_8+C_6N_1H_7/C_5C_6H_(12)/C_5C_6N_1/C_5C_6H_(12)/C_2N_1C_6/N_1C_2N_3/C_4N_3H_9/N_1C_2N_3等内坐标演化。     

Effect of molecular rotational hindrance on the spontaneous polarization in the S*C phase of a ferroelectric liquid crystal

The spontaneous polarization, P_s, and the tilt angle, θ, have been measured simultaneously in the S*_C phase of binary mixtures of two ferroelectric liquid crystals as a function of temperature and concentration. A molecular rotational model was used in order to calculate the temperature dependence of the P_s/θ ratio. A two parameter fit of the experimental data was carried out which showed good agreement. The molecular rotational potentials have been determined from the fit parameters and are presented as a function of concentration. It is shown that the chiral part of the potential depends very weakly on the composition in contrast to the non-chiral part which shows a strong negative non-linear deviation with a minimum corresponding to the concentration at which the smectic C* phase width is maximal.     

Fluorescent ferroelectric liquid crystalline copolyacrylates

Fluorescent liquid crystalline side chain polymers were synthesized by copolymerization of a ferroelectric monomer and 5 per cent of various blue fluorescent naphthalic imide dye comonomers. Those copolymers were characterized by DSC, X-ray, GPC and optical microscopy. In favourable cases, fast switching fluorescent ferroelectric polymers resulted, exhibiting high tilt angles (up to ∼ 34°) and spontaneous polarization values (up to ∼ 115 nC cm^-2) in the S*_c phase. One fluorescent copolymer shows orthogonal smectic phases exclusively due to the structure of the incorporated fluorescent comonomer. In this case a strong electroclinic effect and high induced tilt angles (12° 10 V μm^-1) have been observed in the S_a phase. Order parameters, S, of the dye moieties up to 0.64 were measured in the room temperature S_b phase for the copolymers     

New organogold(I) complexes: Synthesis, structure, and dynamic behavior of the polynuclear organogold diphenylmethane and diphenylethane derivatives

Two organogold derivatives of diphenylmethane and diphenylethane, Ph₃PAu(o-C₆H₄)CH₂(C₆H₄-o)AuPPh₃ (1) and Ph₃PAu(o-C₆H₄)(CH₂)₂(C₆H₄-o)AuPPh₃ (2), have been synthesized by the reaction of ClAuPPh₃ with Li(o-C₆H₄)CH₂(C₆H₄-o)Li and Li(o-C₆H₄)(CH₂)₂(C₆H₄-o)Li respectively. The interaction of 1 with dppe results in the replacement of the two PPh₃ groups to give a macrocyclic compound (3) that includes an Au Au bond. Compounds 1 and 2 react with one or two equivalents of [Ph₃PAu]BF₄ to form new types of cationic complex [CH₂(C₆H₄-o)₂(AuPPh₃)₃]BF₄ (4), [CH₂(C₆H₄-o)₂(AuPPh₃)₄](BF₄)₂ (5), and [(CH₂)₂(C₆H₄-o)₂(AuPPh₃)₄](BF₄)₂ (6). Complexes 1–6 have been characterized by X-ray diffraction studies, FAB MS, and IR as well as by ¹H and ³¹P NMR spectroscopy. A complicated system of Au H-C agostic interactions, involving the bridging alkyl groups (—CH₂— and CH₂-CH₂—) of diphenylmethane and diphenylethane ligands, has been found to occur in complexes 1–3 and 6.     

Fast switching ferroelectric side-chain liquid-crystalline polymer and copolymer

New ferroelectric side-chain liquid-crystalline polymers, a copolymer and a homopolymer, with siloxane backbone and a triaromatic mesogen as the side group have been synthesized. The materials exhibit a chiral smectic C phase over a large temperature range extending to room temperature. They possess high values of spontaneous polarization: 105 nC cm^-2 for the homopolymer and 180 nC cm^-2 for the copolymer. The electro-optic switching time in the chiral smectic C phase is extremely fast (150 μs). In the smectic A phase, an electroclinic effect with switching times less than 100 μs and with field induced tilt angles of 18° is observed.     

Sulphur containing mesogens. The mesophasic behaviour of di(4-alkyloxybenzoates) of 4,4'-dimercaptobiphenyl

A homologous series of di(4-alkyloxybenzoates) of 4,4'-dimercaptobiphenyl: CH₃(CH₂)_n-1O-C₆H₄-COS-C₆H₄-C₆H₄-SOC-C₆H₄-O(CH₂)_n-1CH₃,n=1-7, has been synthesized and the thermotropic liquid-crystalline behaviour investigated. All compounds exhibit enantiotropic mesomorphism over a remarkable temperature range. While the mesophase thermal stability is moderately higher than that found for the corresponding oxygenated analogues, the smectic stability is definitely lower. In fact, all the compounds are nematic but smectic mesomorphism (S_C) is observed for n = 7. Compounds with n = 6 or 7 exhibit enantiotropic highly ordered smectic (or disordered crystal) phases, probably S_G in type.     

Description of the pVT behavior of ionic liquids and the solubility of gases in ionic liquids using an equation of state

A molecular thermodynamic model developed previously for fluids of chain-like molecules has been extended to correlate the pVT behavior of ionic liquids and the solubilities of gases such as CO₂, C₃H₆, C₃H₈, C₄H₁₀ in various ionic liquids. The relative deviation between the calculated molar volume and experimental data is less than 0.2%. It is shown that this equation of state can be used to correlate the solubility of CO₂ in ionic liquids with only one temperature-independent adjustable interaction parameter, and the accuracy of the correlation can be further improved using two temperature-independent adjustable parameters. The water content of ionic liquids has a large influence on the calculated results. For systems with water content lower than 0.1%, the average relative deviations of bubble point pressure are 3.14 and 4.90% using two parameters and one parameter, respectively. For systems containing C₃H₆, C₃H₈ and C₄H₁₀ two temperature dependent adjustable parameters are needed to obtain a good fit, and the corresponding deviation of the gas solubility is less than 2%, except for C₃H₈.