TRANSITIONS AND MODRPHOLOGY OF MAIN-CHAIN LIQUID CRYSTALLINE POLYMERS WITH X-SHAPED MESOGENS

The transitions and morphology of a series of main-chain liquid crystalline polymer with X-shaped mesogens were studied by means of DSC,SALS and polarizing microscopy techniques. Aneven-odd effect was observed for samples with different size of the substituents on the mesogenends. The isotropization process was similar to that of main-chain polymers with rod-likemesogens. No crystallization was detected for specimens cooling down from their isotropic meltstate. However two of the samples may crystallize in cooling process directly from the liquidcrystalline state.     

Non-equilibrium thermal behaviour of a main chain thermotropic polymer

The effect of thermal treatment on the thermodynamic properties and structure of a nematic thermotropic main chain polymer with mesogenic groups containing 3,3'-biphenylene units and octamethylene flexible spacers (BF8) has been studied by DSC and X-ray scattering. We have found that BF8 samples do not crystallize even on very slow cooling from the isotropic state, and possessed a glassy nematic structure at room temperature. The strong influence of the cooling rate on both the enthalpy of the nematic-isotropic transition and the rise of specific heat at the glass transition for BF8 samples was observed. It was attempted to explain this result in terms of the improvement of the nematic structure during cooling.     

Non-equilibrium thermal behaviour of a main chain thermotropic polymer

Abstract

The effect of thermal treatment on the thermodynamic properties and structure of a nematic thermotropic main chain polymer with mesogenic groups containing 3,3′-biphenylene units and octamethylene flexible spacers (BF8) has been studied by DSC and X-ray scattering. We have found that BF8 samples do not crystallize even on very slow cooling from the isotropic state, and possessed a glassy nematic structure at room temperature. The strong influence of the cooling rate on both the enthalpy of the nematic-isotropic transition and the rise of specific heat at the glass transition for BF8 samples was observed. It was attempted to explain this result in terms of the improvement of the nematic structure during cooling.     

The effect of shear flow on the conformation of polyelectrolyte brushes

The behavior of flat polyelectrolyte brushes under the action of a lateral force or flow was studied. Special attention was focused on the case when a lateral force acts on a brush that occurs near the point of phase transition from the swollen state to the collapsed state. The difference between phase transitions in a brush induced by isotropic and anisotropic interactions is analyzed. As examples of such transitions, the collapse of a polyelectrolyte brush upon cooling and the nematic collapse of an anisotropic brush are considered. It was shown that lateral force (flow), exerting a marked effect on the nematic collapse of an anisotropic brush, has no practical effect on the collapse of a brush with isotropic interactions.     

聚(乙烯基对苯二甲酸二烷基酯)的非寻常相转变

以聚(乙烯基对苯二甲酸二烷基酯)(PDAVT)为对象,用热分析、X射线衍射、流变及固体核磁共振等方法考察了甲壳型液晶高分子中存在的"低温无序、高温有序"的非寻常相行为.实验证明,在升温过程中,烷基基团为丁基、己基和辛基的PDAVT(P4、P6和P8)可从无定形态发育出柱状(Col)液晶相,导致在高温区体系模量升高.降温时P6和P8可完全回到无定形态,表现出典型的"各向同性相重入"行为.PDAVT液晶相畴的生长具有一维生长的特点,是成核控制的,升高温度可加快Col相的形成.固体核磁共振实验表明,样品从无定形态转变为Col相的过程与侧链运动性的不断加强有密切关系.我们也初步探索了剪切场或拉伸场对液晶转变的影响,发现当温度不高时,剪切或拉伸既不改变液晶转变温度,也没有提高液晶态样品的液晶化程度.综合分析多方面的实验结果可以看出,PDAVT的非寻常相行为是熵主导的.侧链的加速运动会增强"甲壳效应",Col相是侧链熵最大化的结果.     

MELTING AND CRYSTALLIZATION BEHAVIOR OFAN AROMATIC POLY (AZOMETHINE ETHER) WITH NON-LINEARLY SHAPED MOLECULAR CONFORMATIONS

The melting and crystallization behavior have been investigated for an aromatic poly(azomethine ether) with non-linearly shaped molecular conformations. This polymer wasfound to undergo multiple melting processes and its phase transition behavior wasinfluenced sensitively by the thermal history of sample. A significant difference between thepolymer chain aggregation abilities of samples cooled from the different states wasobserved. The possible molecular morphology and aggregation models for describing thestructures of this polymer were proposed and discussed. The crystallization behavior of thesamples cooled from the partially isotropic state and the influence of cooling rate on it havealso been examined with DSC.     

Spontaneous deformation of main-chain liquid-crystalline elastomers composed of smectic polyesters

We observe the spontaneous shape change of a uniaxially deformed liquid-crystalline elastomer composed of smectic main-chain liquid-crystalline polyesters in a cyclic heating–cooling process. Although the elastomer contracts by about 115% on heating up to the isotropic phase, the sample length recovers by 55% on cooling to room temperature in the first heating–cooling process, and the elastomer exhibits an almost complete reversible deformation in the second heating–cooling process. By a comparison of the results of sample observation with those of X-ray analysis, we recognise that the strain λ was linearly coupled with the orientational order parameter S. In addition, the results of the X-ray analysis imply that a cybotactic nematic state, in which smectic clusters lie scattered in a nematic-like matrix, emerges after exposure to the isotropic phase.     

Molecular dynamics simulations of side chain liquid crystal polymer molecules in isotropic and liquid-crystalline melts

A detailed molecular dynamics simulation study is described for a polysiloxane side chain liquid crystal polymer (SCLCP). The simulations use a coarse-grained model composed of a combination of isotropic and anisotropic interaction sites. On cooling from a fully isotropic polymer melt, we see spontaneous microphase separation into polymer-rich and mesogen-rich regions. Upon application of a small aligning potential during cooling, the structures that form on microphase separation anneal to produce a smectic-A phase in which the polymer backbone is largely confined between the smectic layers. Several independent quenches from the melt are described that vary in the strength of the aligning potential and the degree of cooling. In each quench, defects were found where the backbone chains hop from one backbone-rich region to the next by tunneling through the mesogenic layers. As expected, the number of such defects is found to depend strongly on the rate of cooling. In the vicinity of such a defect, the smectic-A structure of the mesogen-rich layers is disrupted to give nematiclike ordering. Additionally, several extensive annealing runs of approximately 40 ns duration have been carried out at the point of microphase separation. During annealing the polymer backbone is seen to be slowly excluded from the mesogenic layers and lie perpendicular to the smectic-A director. These observations agree with previous assumptions about the structure of a SCLCP and with interpretations of x-ray diffraction and small angle neutron scattering data. The flexible alkyl spacers, which link the backbone to the mesogens, are found to form sublayers around the backbone layer.     

Vitrification and water induced crystallization of zinc(II) dodecylbenzene sulphonate

Crystallization of zinc(II) dodecyl benzene sulphonate has been suppressed by either the removal of water of hydration or the rapid cooling of the compound from the liquid crystalline state. The anisotropic structure is preserved in the solid state when the hydrated compound in the LC phase is rapidly quenched, while removal of the water of hydration at temperatures in or above the LC phase and the subsequent slow cooling produces a stable isotropic structure.     

Diamagnetic susceptibility of liquid crystalline copolyesters: Study of molecular relaxation

The diamagnetic susceptibility of a series of random copolyesters, P(HB/HN), of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (HBA) with 2-hydroxy-6-naphtoic acid (HNA) has been investigated, both, as a function of composition and temperature. It is shown that the molecular susceptibility of the uniaxially oriented samples linearly decreases with HB content. Results are discussed in terms of the increase in magnetic anisotropy occurring with the introduction of the HN groups. Furthermore, the temperature dependence of the specific susceptibility has been investigated. The diamagnetic susceptibility of these copolymers rises at the beginning of the solid-liquid crystalline transition. Above this temperature, the specific susceptibility exhibits a conspicuous time-dependent behavior which is a function of the temperature at the mesophase. After long storage times at the mesophase, and upon cooling at room temperature, the susceptibility shows values which approach those of a macroscopically isotropic state, i.e., a state with no overall preferred orientation. X-ray diffraction measurements confirm a relaxation mechanism of the molecular orientation occurring at temperatures above the melting point. A similar relaxation process is observed for samples with an initial planar orientation. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Chiral hide-and-seek: retention of enantiomorphism in laser-induced nucleation of molten sodium chlorate

We report the observation of non-photochemical laser-induced nucleation (NPLIN) of sodium chlorate from its melt using nanosecond pulses of light at 1064 nm. The fraction of samples that nucleate is shown to depend linearly on the peak power density of the laser pulses. Remarkably, we observe that most samples are nucleated by the laser back into the enantiomorph (dextrorotatory or levorotatory) of the solid prior to melting. We do not observe a significant dependence on polarization of the light, and we put forward symmetry arguments that rule out an optical Kerr effect mechanism. Our observations of retention of chirality can be explained by decomposition of small amounts of the sodium chlorate to form sodium chloride, which provide cavities for retention of clusters of sodium chlorate even 18 °C above the melting point. These clusters remain sub-critical on cooling, but can be activated by NPLIN via an isotropic polarizability mechanism. We have developed a heterogeneous model of NPLIN in cavities, which reproduces the experimental data using simple physical data available for sodium chlorate.     

Manipulating the twist sense of helical nanofilaments of bent-core liquid crystals using rod-shaped,chiral mesogenic dopants

In some liquid crystal (LC) mixtures of bent-core host molecules that form helical nanofilaments (HNFs) and chiral, rod-shaped molecular guests, the spontaneous chirality of the HNFs is not influenced by the guest handedness. In other mixtures, the filaments become homochiral, responding to the handedness of the guest. We show that the important distinction between these two behaviours is the solubility of the guest material in the HNF phase. In our experiments, chiral LC mesogens doped into the HNF phase result in an enantiomeric imbalance and sometimes change the phase sequence on cooling from the isotropic melt.     

Gel formation and photoactive properties of azobenzene-containing polymer in liquid crystal mixture

For the first time, a photochromic azobenzene-containing liquid crystalline (LC) acrylic polymer was used for gelation of low-molar-mass nematic mixture (LMNM). Dissolution of LC polymer in amount of only 2.5 wt.% in LMNM at 120°C (isotropic state) followed by cooling down results in formation of the solid-like photochromic LC gel. Gelation is associated with a phase separation and formation of microsized LC polymer domains, which form a physical “network” containing encapsulated nematic host. Textural changes of mixture during gel formation were analyzed, and absorbance spectra were measured. A special attention was paid to the kinetic study of photoinduced E-Z and Z-E isomerization of azobenzene side groups of polymer in gel. It was shown that ultraviolet (UV)-irradiation and E-Z isomerization processes are accompanied by disruption of H-aggregates of azobenzene moieties and partial dissolution of polymer.     

N.M.R. and X-ray diffraction of the 7,7'-disodiumcromoglycate-water lyomesophases

Aqueous solutions of 7,7'-disodiumcromoglycate (7,7'-DSCG) form a variety of mesophases, whose natures depend on concentration and temperature. We have used optical microscopy, N.M.R. (of ²H, ¹⁷O and ²³Na) and X-ray techniques to construct a phase diagram for this system and to characterize the various mesophases. In the concentration range 3 to 25 wt % 7,7'-DSCG four different mesophases are found. On cooling the isotropic solution an opaque gel phase is first obtained, followed on further cooling by a birefringent glassy liquid. At concentrations below 14wt% it is nematic, while at higher concentrations it appears to be a different, more ordered, phase. At lower temperatures a hexagonal phase is formed which finally solidifies on cooling to - 15°C. The N.M.R. and X-ray characteristics of these mesophases are discussed.     

Analysis of mesophase formation in side-chain liquid crystalline polycarbosilanes

This paper is concerned with an analysis of the thermodynamics and kinetics of mesophase formation by cooling from the isotropic state of side-chain liquid crystalline polycarbosilanes containing spacers in the range from 3 to 11 CH₂-groups. The polymers are characterized by their thermotropic behaviour as far as temperature, enthalpy and entropy of the transitions are concerned. The kinetics was followed by optical and calorimetric methods. Longer spacer length leads to more perfect ordering in the mesophase, higher isotropization temperatures, and lower glass transition temperatures. The Avrami and Ozawa formalism to describe the transition kinetics to the mesophase from the isotropic state cannot be interpreted as the nucleation and growth mechanism known from crystallization.Dedicated to Professor Bernhard Wunderlich on the occasion of his 65th birthday     

Temperature calibration of heat flux DSC's on cooling

The temperature calibration of a TA Instruments 3200-2920 DSC has been performed on cooling using the isotropic → nematic, isotropic → cholesteric and other liquid crystal → liquid crystal transitions of thermally stable, high purity liquid crystals. The thermal stability of these liquid crystals has been verified by measuring the temperature of the mentioned transitions during cyclic heating and cooling experiments. Correspondence has been established between the real and indicated temperature during cooling for all combinations of heating and cooling rates of practical interest: correction values were determined to the indicated temperature in order to obtain the real temperature on cooling. These correction values were calculated as the average from the temperatures of four or five different liquid crystal transitions for each heating-cooling rate combination. The accuracy of the temperature calibration on cooling is ca. 0.2?C for heating and cooling rates up to 20?C min^?1.     

Wetting behaviour of 5CB and 8CB and their binary mixtures above the isotropic transition

High resolution optical microscopy techniques have been employed to study the wetting properties of (5CB)_x/(8CB)_100-x (x=0, 10, 30, 50, 70, 90, and 100 wt %) binary mixture liquid crystal thin films above the isotropic transitions. Dewetting is found to occurr at T_w=65 and 42.5°C for the 5CB and 8CB samples, respectively, and to depend strongly on the 5CB content in the mixtures. First-order wetting transitions were seen for pure 5CB and 8CB samples; a higher order wetting transitions were obtained for the mixtures. For thin film 5CB, a large hysteresis (ΔT=30°C) between wetting and dewetting during the heating and cooling is obtained. This hysteresis is compared with the corresponding values obtained for pure 8CB and mixture samples. Evidence of the formation of nematic layers on the surface of isotropic droplets was found. Attempts to extract values of the contact line tension for these materials are made. In this respect the applicability of the modified Young's equation is questionable.     

Synthesis of luminescent liquid crystals derived from gallic acid containing heterocyclic 1,3,4-oxadiazole

This article describes the synthesis, liquid crystalline and photophysical properties of luminescent liquid crystalline compounds, derived from gallic acid containing heterocyclic 1,3,4-oxadiazole. The mesophases of these compounds were characterised using polarising optical microscopy (POM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). All compounds showed high thermal stability and blue photoluminescence in solution, with emission maxima between 376 and 381 nm. For all compounds, the liquid crystalline behaviour was preserved on cooling from the isotropic state to room temperature. These characteristics make these materials good candidates for application in organic electronics.