Temperature dependence of the photonic bandgap and the orientational order parameter for a cholesteric photonic crystal

The reflection spectra of a cholesteric photonic crystal have been measured. The experimental spectra are described by a theoretical expression that follows from the analytical solution of the Maxwell equations. The photonic bandgap width Δν has been determined. The photonic bandgap width changes abruptly as the position of the diffraction band changes. The temperature dependence of the relative bandgap width Δν/ν₀ and the order parameter for a photonic crystal are described by Landau’s theory of phase transitions.     

Transformation of the structure of smectic liquid crystals associated with frustration and the surface of ultrathin films

Frustrations associated with competition between interlayer interactions in smectic liquid crystals and geometric frustrations are responsible for variety of interesting physical phenomena, formation of unusual structures, and transitions between them. Owing to the possibility of the preparation of ultrathin freely suspended smectic nanofilms and a single-layer change in their thickness (by one molecular layer), smectic films are unique objects for the study of ordered structures in a limited geometry. Effects associated with frustration and the nanothickness of smectic films have been discussed.     

Polarized luminescence in a cubic liquid crystal

In a liquid-crystalline cubic phase the kinetics of the luminescence induced by pulsed excitation of a luminescing dopant has been studied. The influence of the molecular reorientation on the decay kinetics of the polarized components of the light has been investigated. The correlation times of the molecular reorientation and the magnitude of the local order parameter have been determined.     

Surface ordering near the smectic-A-smectic-C transition in thin, free-standing, liquid-crystal films

Optical reflectivity measurements have been conducted near the smectic-A-smectic-C phase transition in free-standing films with thickness between two and eleven molecular layers. The temperature dependence of the reflectivity in thin film differs significantly from that in thick films. The optical thickness per layer increases in films with two to five layers as a result of cooling, in contrast with thick films. The average layer spacing was found to decrease with decreasing film thickness. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 111, 949–953 (March 1997) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Reproduced here with stylistic changes by the Translation Editor.     

Optical properties and photonic density of states in one-dimensional and three-dimensional liquid-crystalline photonic crystals

ABSTRACT

Complex optical investigations were performed in one-dimensional (cholesteric) and three-dimensional (Blue Phase II) liquid-crystalline photonic crystals. Spectra of optical transmission and luminescence in the range of the photonic stop band contain information about the local anisotropy, characteristics of the photonic stop band, photonic density of states. We determine the photonic density of states in one-dimensional and three-dimensional liquid-crystalline photonic crystals employing measurements of polarised luminescence. The width of the photonic band gap, density of states and the optical characteristics related to the density of states essentially change with temperature in one-dimensional cholesteric photonic crystal. Drastic transformation of the density of states was found at the transition from one-dimensional to three-dimensional (Blue Phase II) photonic crystal. The results of our investigations demonstrate the possibility to employ the applied method for various types of photonic structures.     

Electrochemical synthesis of Cu-containing polyheteroarylenes and study of their catalytic properties

Method of electrochemical synthesis of new Cu-containing polyheteroarylenes that have biquinolyl units in their main chain is developed on the base of the soluble anode technique. The study of electrochemical properties of thus obtained Cu-containing polymer and the corresponding monomer complex revealed existence of two types of coordination environment: (1) copper Cu(I) in the tetrahedral surrounding of two biquinolyl ligands and (2) copper Cu(I) bound with only one biquinolyl fragment. The complexes with one biquinolyl polymer ligand showed high activity as catalysts for O₂ reduction in the presence of hydroquinone that is converted to quinone in the course of the reaction.     

A study of molecular dynamics and phase transitions in solid MBBA

Abstract

The solid state polymorphism of liquid crystalline MBBA was investigated by temperature dependent NMR spin-lattice relaxation time measurements. The sensitivity of the method could be utilized because the correlation time of the measurement is in the correlation time region of molecular motion. Motional correlation time and activation energy values were determined and the results show some interesting changes between the different solid phases. Non-trivial variation in the end-chain rotational motion in two crystalline phases has been observed. Conclusions were drawn on the relationship between rotational molecular dynamics, intermolecular order and phase transitions.     

Spectroscopic and electrochemical study of dinuclear and mononuclear copper complexes with the bidentate ligand of the 2,2′-diquinoline series

The newly synthesized complex (2) of copper(I) chloride with di-n-hexyl 2,2′-biquinoline-4,4′-dicarboxylate (L) was spectroscopically and electrochemically characterized. The X-ray diffraction study showed that the crystals of complex 2 consist of the dinuclear moieties [L₂Cu¹ ₂(μ-Cl)₂] containing Cu₂(μ-Cl)₂ clusters. Spectrophotometric studies and ESI-mass spec-trometric measurements showed that after the dissolution of complex 2 in acetonitrile (AN) and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), the solution contained not only the dinuclear complexes [L₂Cu¹ ₂(μ-Cl)₂] but also [L₂Cu¹]Cl, [LCu¹Cl(Sol)], and [Cu¹Cl(Sol)] (Sol is the solvent). The electrochemical data also confirm the conclusion that bridged dinuclear chloride complex 2 dissociates both in NMP and AN to form the tetrahedral bis-biquinoline complex [L₂Cu¹]Cl. In solutions of complex 2 in alcohols and _N,_N-dimethylformamide (DMF), only [L₂Cu¹]Cl and [Cu¹Cl(Sol)] are present. In EtOH, AN, and DMF, [Cu¹Cl(Sol)] undergoes disproportionation to [Cu¹¹Cl(Sol)] and Cu⁰.     

Orientational defects in freely suspended smectic <Emphasis Type="Italic">C</Emphasis> films

Linear orientational defects (2π and π walls) in freely suspended thin smectic C films exposed to a magnetic field were studied. The bend and splay elastic constants, as well as the orientational viscosity of a two-dimensional c-director field, were determined. It was established that a change in the polar and azimuthal angles of magnetic-field orientation in a sample cardinally transforms the wall structure. This is caused by the anisotropy of orientational elasticity of the c director.