Alternative synthetic strategies for Schiff base derived liquid crystal polymers: A comparative study

Semiflexible liquid crystalline polymers based on Schiff bases as mesogenic cores have been synthesized through different synthetic strategies. The mesogenic cores are derived from 1,5-naphthalenediamine linked to a polymethylenic spacer by means of ether or ester groups. The synthetic strategies differ in the disconnection of the molecules to design the synthesis of the repeating units. Polymers were synthesized either as polyazomethines, where imine bonds are formed in the polymer synthesis, or as polyethers or polyesters, where the ether or ester groups are formed at the polymer-forming stage. The influence of the synthetic method and the linking groups between mesogenic core and flexible spacer on the thermal and mesogenic properties has been analyzed by DSC, thermogravimetry, and optical microscopy. The possibility of obtaining hydroxy-functionalized polymers by different synthetic strategies has been studied as well as the influence of these groups on the thermal and mesogenic properties. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Novel ferroelectric non-symmetric dimeric liquid crystals

The synthesis, characterization, mesomorphism and ferroelectric behaviour of ten new chiral dimeric compounds are reported. These compounds are non-symmetric dimers consisting of two mesogenic units joined by two different flexible spacers derived from S(-)-lactic acid. The mesogenic units contain ester and thioester groups. The effects of the length of the flexible spacer and the structure of the mesogenic units on the mesomorphism of the compounds are investigated. These compounds are ferroelectric and the spontaneous polarizations of some were measured, giving values of c. 10nC cm^-2.     

New dimeric liquid crystals with chiral flexible spacers

In order to obtain chiral compounds of low molecular weight expected to exhibit mesogenic and ferroelectric properties, the asymmetric carbon was introduced into the central part of the molecule. The series consists of nine chiral dimers in which the chiral flexible spacer derives from S-2-chlorosuccinic acid. The mesomorphic properties of the compounds were studied and all of them were found to be mesogenic. From n = 6 onwards the mesophases were chiral smectic C. Some analogous compounds derived from S-2-chloroglutaric acid were also prepared; these were not found to be mesogenic. The thermal instability of the 2-chlorosuccinic acid derivatives prevented the study of their ferroelectric properties. We attempted to perform this study for several mixtures involving 3-methyladipic acid derivatives and both 2-chlorosuccinic and 2-chloroglutaric acids derivatives. All the mixtures studied show chiral smectic C phases. The mixtures containing 2-chlorosuccinoyl derivatives show thermal instability; however those containing 2-chloroglutaroyl derivatives are stable, but do not show significant values of spontaneous polarization.     

Mesogenic behaviour of two series of orthopalladated polar inline derivatives and their organic ligands (II)

One series of 4-n-octyl-N-(4-X-benzylidene)anilines and two series of polar orthopalladated complexes derived from these of type Pd₂(μ-Y)₂ p-X-C₆H₃-CH = N-C₆H₄-C₈H₁₇₂; X: -H, -F, -Cl, -Br, -NO₂, -CN, -CH₃, -OCH₃, -CF₃, -COOCH₃, -OCOCH₃ and -OCOQH₅; Y: -OAc and -Cl; have been synthesized and their mesogenic properties studied. In the polar Schiff bases used as organic ligands, the polar end group determines both the presence of the mesophase and the type of mesophase exhibited. In the complexes, however, it is the central structure of the molecule that practically always determines mesogenic behaviour. No acetato-bridged complex is mesogenic. All the chloro-bridged complexes, however, show mesogenic behaviour. All these compounds show smectic A mesophases with the exception of the CN compound, which only exhibits a nematic mesophase.     

Boundary element solution of the two-dimensional groundwater flow equation with stochastic free surface boundary condition

An innovative approach to the approximate solution of stochastic partial differential equations in groundwater flow is presented. The method uses a formulation of the Ito's lemma in Hilbert spaces to derive partial differential equations satisfying the moments of the solution process. Since the moments equations are deterministic, they could be solved by any analytical or numerical method existing in the literature. This permits the analysis and solution of stochastic partial differential equations occurring in two-dimensional or three-dimensional domains of any geometrical shape. The method is tested for the first time in the present paper through a practical application in a sandy phreatic aquifer at the Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories, Ontario, Canada. The equation solved is the two-dimensional LaPlace equation with a dynamic, randomly perturbed, free surface boundary condition. The moments equations are derived and solved by using the boundary integral equation method. A comparison is made with a previous analytical solution obtained by applying the randomly forced one-dimensional Boussinesq equation, and some observations on modeling procedures are given.