Synthesis and mesomorphic properties of new Schiff base esters with different alkyl chains

A new series of Schiff base esters,4-(dimethylamino)benzylidene-4'-alkanoyloxyanilines containing even number of carbons at the end group of the molecules(C_(n-1)H_(2n-1)COO,n = 6,8,10,12,14,16,18) were synthesized.The present compounds were monotropic liquid crystals.It was also found that the end groups of the molecules had effect on the mesomorphic properties.     

A new method for synthesizing hyperbranched polymers with reductive groups using redox/RAFT/SCVP

The novel hyperbranced polymers containing reductive groups were successfully prepared and characterized using redox/reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer(RAFT)/self-condensing vinyl polymerization(SCVP) method. Several redox initiating chemicals such as Cu(III)/―CONH2, Ce(IV)/―CONH2 and Ce(IV)/―OH were chosen to increase the free radical generating rate, and the chain transfer agent(CTA) was used to reduce the molecular chain propagating rate, in order to obtain polymers with high degree of branching. Detailed analyses based on the molecular weight, ? value and the degree of branching of polymers(DB) obtained from 1H-NMR spectra and multi detector size exclusion chromatography(MDSEC) suggested the acquiring of hyperbranced polyacrylamides with Cu(III)/―CONH2 and Ce(IV)/―CONH2 as initiator in the presence of the CTA. Meanwhile, the as-prepared poly(N-hydroxymethyl acrylamide)(PNHAM) with higher DB value(0.48) proved that using Ce(IV)/―OH as the initiator could increase the free radical generating rate and diminish the gap between the propagating rate and the initiation rate during the reaction procedure. In addition, the effect of oxidant concentration on the Mark-Houwink index(?) value and the DB was also studied.     

Polymorphism of racemic 1,2-diols with aliphatic chains: isostructural series of phases in dry and hydrated samples

The different phases occurring in homologous dried n-alkane-1,2-diols (1,2-diols) and n-alkane-1,2,1′,2′-tetraols (1,2-boladiols), as well as in hydrated n-alkane-1,2-diols were characterised according to their X-ray diffraction patterns. The analysis of the X-ray data is mainly based on the small-angle region. The scattering in the wide-angle region, which may be regarded as fingerprint, is at present used for a qualitative discrimination of the phases. A homologous series of compounds is considered isostructural if the data show a linear relationship between the repeat distance d _L and the number of C atoms (Cm) in a chain. Assuming that a given lateral packing remains constant, two characteristic values can be obtained from the plot of d _L versus Cm. The slope b contains information about the tilt angle of the chains for the respective layer model and the intercept a represents the thickness of the hydrophilic part of the aggregate. A great variety of headgroup thicknesses and tiltings of the chains were found. Bilayers or double bilayers are the repeat unit in 1,2-diols, whereas in 1,2-boladiols the molecules are packed in monolayers. Water changes the packing of the chains and new packing modes with crossed chain axes were obtained. The ability to form hydrogen-bridged networks on both ends of the molecules forces the chains to occupy larger areas in dried 1,2-boladiols compared to the corresponding 1,2-diols. Received: 24 June 1998 Accepted in revised form: 15 February 1999     

Synthesis and characterization of graft copolymers containing poly(p-phenylene) main chains and mesogen-jacketed liquid-crystalline polystyrene side chains

A series of novel comblike mesogen-jacketed liquid-crystalline graft copolymers, poly(p-phenylene)-g-poly{2,5-bis[(4-methoxyphenyl)oxycarbonyl]styrene} (PPP-g-PMPCS) copolymers, have been designed and successfully synthesized by a Yamamoto coupling reaction and subsequent atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). ¹H NMR spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible spectra, and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) have been used to confirm the molecular structure of the macroinitiator and the copolymers. A study of the polymerization kinetics of ATRP has shown that the molecular weight of the copolymer increases linearly with the conversion of the monomer, whereas the polydispersity remains narrow (≤1.28), indicating that the ATRP of 2,5-bis[(4-methoxyphenyl)oxycarbonyl]styrene is well controlled. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements have indicated that the PPP-g-PMPCS copolymers have better thermal stabilities than the macroinitiator, and their thermal stabilities increase with increasing molecular weight. The liquid-crystalline behavior has been examined with polarized optical microscopy, DSC, one-dimensional wide-angle X-ray diffraction (1D WAXD), and two-dimensional wide-angle X-ray diffraction (2D WAXD). The results show that all the comblike copolymers exhibit obvious liquid-crystalline behaviors, even though the GPC molecular weight of the segments of poly{2,5-bis[(4-methoxyphenyl)oxycarbonyl]styrene} (PMPCS) have been determined to be far less than the critical value of linear PMPCS. Moreover, 1D WAXD measurements show that the temperature at which the comblike mesogen-jacketed liquid-crystalline copolymers can transform into a liquid-crystalline phase is low; about 20 °C in comparison with the linear ones. 2D WAXD analysis has revealed that these comblike copolymers should be assigned to a hexatic columnar nematic (Φ_HN) phase. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 2543–2555, 2007     

Liquid crystals with partially fluorinated side chains: Highly polar materials with very low birefringence

Highly polar liquid crystals with very low birefringence were synthesized by a reaction sequence starting with the radical addition of a secondary alcohol to pentafluoropropene and perfluoropropene, respectively. The mesophases and electrooptical properties of the new materials were interpreted using a detailed computational analysis of the conformational equilibrium.     

Preparation and surface properties of the polysiloxane material modified with fluorocarbon side chains

The novel polysiloxane material modified with fluorocarbon side chains was synthesized. FTIR, FNMR were used to characterize the copolymer structure. The emulsion of the modified polysiloxane was prepared. The reflectance spectrum of the dyed polyester fabric treated with the polymer was also discussed. The effect of the modified polysiloxane on the color fastness of the dyed polyester fabric was investigated. The results show that the novel polysiloxane material modified with fluorocarbon side chains had excellent surface activity. It did not affect the shade of color and the fastnesses of the dyed fabrics and could improve the handle of fabrics. The treated fabric with the modified polysiloxane showed excellent repellency to water.     

Dynamic mechanical and thermal behavior of liquid-crystalline polybutadiene-diols with mesogenic groups in side chains

Liquid-crystalline polybutadiene-diols (LCPBDs) with the comb-like architecture were synthesized by reaction of a LC thiol with the double bonds of telechelic HO-terminated polybutadiene (PBD). LCPBDs with various initial molar ratios of thiol to double bonds of PBD, R₀, in the range from 0.15 to 1, were prepared by the radical reaction at temperature 60 °C for 48 h. The experimentally obtained degree of modification, R_e, after the reaction and purification, was determined from elemental analysis - from the amount of sulphur bounded in LCPBDs, GPC and from ¹H NMR spectra. The physical properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical spectroscopy. With increasing R_e ratio the glass transition temperature of LCPBDs, T_g, increases from ∼ − 45 °C (neat PBD) to ∼20 °C (R_e ∼ 0.5). LC transition starts at R_e ∼ 0.27 (the transition temperature T_m ∼ 27 °C). With increasing R_e temperature T_m increases and for R_e ∼ 0.5 reaches the value T_m ∼ 74 °C; at the same time also the change in enthalpy at LC transition increases. The LC transition could be detected also by the dynamic mechanical spectroscopy; especially shape and position of mechanical functions on frequency and free volume parameters strongly depend on degree of modification.     

A novel route for synthesizing esters and polyesters from the Diels-Alder adduct of levopimaric acid and acrylic acid

A novel route for the esterification of the Diels-Alder adduct between abietic acid, in its isomer form of levopimaric acid, and acrylic acid was established. The high purity Diels-Alder adduct was prepared starting from rosin acids. When the adduct was subjected to a condensation reaction in the presence of a cyclic carbonate ester and of an efficient amine catalyst, hydroxyalkyl esters were obtained. The corresponding linear polyesters were synthesized by the advanced polycondensation of the above intermediates at high temperature, under vacuum, and in the presence of some adequate polyesterification catalysts. In the work 1,3-dioxolan-2-one as cyclic carbonate ester, triethylamine as esterification catalyst, and toluene-4-sulfonic acid monohydrate or tetrabutyl titanate as polycondensation catalysts, were preferred for exemplifications. The polyesters were soluble in dimethylacetamide, trichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, or 1,4-dioxane. The thermal and electric studies showed that the polymers were substances with good thermal stability and high dielectric properties.     

Systematic solution-phase parallel synthesis of active vitamin D3 analogs with elongated side chains and their cell differentiation activities

Side-chain elongation of active vitamin D3 is acknowledged as a structural modification to enhance its cell differentiation activity; however, the comprehensive structure-activity relationship (SAR) as a result of this modification has not been reported. To clarify the SAR, we synthesized six analogs systematically elongated at the 24-position, 26,27-position, or both by methylene (normal A-ring series 1a-f) in a facile parallel solution-phase synthesis. Using parallel synthesis, we expanded the side chain-elongation study into two 19-exomethylene analog series: 19-nor-A-ring (4a-f) and 2-methylene-19-nor-A-ring (5a-f). In the 19-nor-A-ring analog series, the SAR induced by side-chain elongation was similar to the normal A-ring analog series, but in the 2-methylene-19-nor-A-ring series, the SAR was unique.     

General method for synthesizing pyranoid glycals. A new route to allal and gulal derivatives

[reaction: see text] Pyranoid glycals of all configurations can be obtained from pentoses through an olefination-cyclization-elimination sequence. The elimination can be carried out with excellent yields under radical conditions or by using common reductive reagents such as Zn/Cu, TiCl(4)/LiAlH(4), or lithium naphthalenide. The proposed method is appropriate for the synthesis of glycals with allo or gulo configurations because the cyclization step is more efficient for these substrates.     

Vitamin D and click chemistry. Part 1: A stereoselective route to vitamin D analogues with triazole rings in their side chains

Efficient preparation of vitamin D CD ring system synthons with triazole rings in their side chains is based on the formation of the triazole ring from a [3+2]-cycloaddition of a vitamin D side chain terminal azide with a terminal acetylene.     

A new triphenylamine-based hyperbranched polyfluorene with oxadiazole units on its side chains

A new triphenylamine-based hyperbranched polymer with electron deficient units of oxadiazole on its side chains was successfully prepared by a modified Suzuki polycondensation with Pd(PPh₃)₄ as a catalyst, K₂CO₃ as a base, and a mixture of THF/toluene (1:1) as the solvent. The electron deficient units of oxadiazole were used to improve the electron injection and transport of the polymer. The results of the cyclic voltammetry (CV) of the polymer indicate that the HOMO and LUMO energy levels match well with the work function of the ITO/PEDOT anode and the metal cathode, respectively. Moreover, the hyperbranched polymer shows blue-emission and the hyperbranched structure effectively suppressed the formation of the aggregates/excimers in the polymer film.     

Synthesis of chromenes with isoprenoid side chains and their selective ozonolysis

The reactions of trimethylhydroquinone with isoprenoid allylic alcohols catalyzed by a Pentasil type zeolite in the H-form gave trimethyl-1,4-benzoquinones with the corresponding isoprenoid group, which were subsequently transformed into the target ³-chromenes on treatment with pyridine. Partial ozonolysis of chromenes proceeded selectively at the -bond of the side chain, resulting in the corresponding chromenes with an -carbonyl group.     

Effects of side chains with similar lengths and different structures of polyimides on liquid crystal alignment behavior

Polyimides（PI） with different side chains in structure were synthesized by copolycondensation of pyromelliticmdianhydride（PMDA） with 3,5-diamino-（4＇-methane acid hexyl ester） phenyl-benzamide（C6-PDA）,（4-butoxybiphenol）-3＇, 5＇-diaminobenzoate（C4-BBDA） and 3, 5-diamino-benzoic acid decyl ester（C10-DA） named PI-PDA, PI-C4, PI-DA, respectively. The lengths of side chains of PI-PDA and PI-DA are as similar as that of PI-C4. Through the pretilt angle tests it is demonstrated that neither the structure of side chains nor the rubbing process could make an obvious difference on vertical alignment property when the lengths of the side chains are similar, standing at around 1.6 nm. The measurement of surface energy of PI surfaces further proved this result. The result of the X-ray photo-electron spectroscope measurement indicated that the side chains of PIs stretched out from the polymer bulk phase and accumulated on the surface.     

A new strategy for synthesizing the steroids with side chains from steroidal sapogenins: synthesis of the aglycone of OSW-1 by using the intact skeleton of diosgenin

The protected aglycone of saponin OSW-1, a new antitumor natural product, was synthesized in 13 linear steps in 9.5% overall yield by utilizing the intact skeleton of diosgenin. This strategy demonstrated a higher efficiency than the routine synthesis of steroids with side chains.     

A simple and rapid route for synthesizing the nanosized g-C3N4 materials with narrow bandgap and their photocatalytic activity

The graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) materials with many intriguing properties have attracted much attention in photocatalysis. The photocatalytic activity of g-C₃N₄ is hindered by serious aggregation and limited exposed active sites. Herein is shown that nanosized g-C₃N₄ can be simply obtained by a superfast high-pressure homogenization approach. The high-pressure homogenization treatment can provide strong force to cut and/or to exfoliate the bulk g-C₃N₄ into nanosized g-C₃N₄ with good dispersion. Moreover, choosing different solvents during treatment can cause a different surface structure of as-prepared nanosized g-C₃N₄. In addition, the narrow bandgap properties, the high photogenerated charge carrier separation, and the transport abilities are achieved in as-prepared nanosized g-C₃N₄ because of the retaining conjugated C₃N₄ system. Specifically, the photocatalytic activities of as-prepared nanosized g-C₃N₄ have been significantly enhanced in terms of degradation of organic dye Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation (10 times higher than that of bulk g-C₃N₄). These findings can provide a promising and simple approach to the exfoliation, nanonization, and surface functionalization of 2D layered materials.     

Rigid-rod polymers with polysiloxane side chains. I. Synthesis and characterization of rigid-rod polyimides with polysiloxane side chains and their compatibility with linear polysiloxanes

Rigid-rod aromatic polyimdies having polydimethylsiloxane side chains were prepared for the purpose of dispersing rigid-rod molecules in silicone matrices for molecular reinforcement. The polyimides were obtained by imidizing the polyamide-acids bearing the side chains either thermally or chemically, which were synthesized by reacting 4,4′-diaminobiphenyl-terminated polysiloxane macromonomers with pyromellitic dianhydride in THF. The polyamide-acid films obtained by removing the solvent were soluble in THF, but the polyimides were insoluble in any common solvent. The polyimides showed no melting transition below 350°C on DSC analysis, at which temperature the side chain started decomposing. Although all the polyimides were anisotropic as observed by a polarizing microscope, x-ray diffraction analysis suggested the presence of only limited chain organization. Blends with linear polydimethylsiloxanes were prepared by casting the THF solution containing the polyamide-acid and the polydimethylsiloxane, followed by solvent evaporation and thermal imidization. With relatively longer side chains, the polyimides were proved to be compatibilized with polydimethylsiloxanes. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Development of a new traceless aniline linker for combinatorial solid-phase parallel synthesis of rod-shaped liquid crystals with an azomethine linkage

A new traceless linker was developed to synthesize a library of 28 compounds possessing an azomethine linkage using combinatorial solid-phase parallel synthesis. The loading of the substrates on a solid support and cleavage from the solid support were performed by an imine synthesis and by imine-exchanged process in the mild conditions, respectively. Products with a thioester group exhibited liquid crystalline properties with the higher transition temperatures than the others.