Effect of pressure on liquid crystal dimers

We report high pressure investigations on a homologous series of liquid crystalline dimeric molecules in which the terminal chain length is kept constant but the length of the methylene spacer connecting the two mesogenic units is varied. We find that unlike the nematic–isotropic transition temperature and associated entropy change, there is no alternation in the slope of the nematic–isotropic phase boundary in the pressure–temperature plane as a function of the length of the spacer group in the molecule. By applying the Clausius–Clapeyron equation we conclude that the volume change at the transition should exhibit a strong odd–even effect. Measurements on the shortest homologue of the series, which is non-mesomorphic, show the expected result that the application of pressure induces mesomorphism in non-mesomorphic compounds.     

Cholesterol-based dimesogenic bidentate ligands and their Cu(II) and Pd(II) metallomesogens

The synthesis and evaluation of the liquid crystalline properties of non-conventional liquid crystals, consisting of two non-identical mesogenic segments interconnected via a paraffinic chain spacer, are of considerable current interest. In particular, chiral dimesogens possessing a cholesteryl ester unit as the chiral entity joined to other aromatic mesogens through a polymethylene spacer have shown unique and interesting thermal behaviour. In continuation of our investigations on this topic, here we present the synthesis and characterization of the first examples of cholesterol-based unsymmetrical dimesogenic bidentate ligands and their Cu(II) and Pd(II) metal-organic systems (metallomesogens). Our studies reveal that the dimesogenic bidentate ligands exhibit multiple mesophases, whereas their metal complexes stabilize only the mesophase.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel chiral dimers exhibiting highly frustrated liquid crystal phases

Two novel series of optically active dimers comprising cholesterol and biphenyl-4-yl 4-(n-alkoxy)benzoate cores interlinked though either an odd-parity/even-parity spacer have been prepared and characterized. They stabilize an extremely complex, frustrated liquid crystalline state viz., the twist grain boundary (TGB) phase with chiral smectic C structure, denoted as TGBC^∗ phase, over a wide (50–110 °C) temperature range. Notably, the dimers with an odd-parity spacer show an additional frustrated liquid crystal phase namely, the blue phase (BP). The presence of such frustrated phases suggests that the synthesized dimers are characterized by high enantiomeric excess and strong molecular chirality. Thus, 12 new optically active, nonsymmetric dimers reported herein constitute new examples of rarely found strongly chiral, optically pure dimers showing frustrated liquid crystal phase over an adequately wide thermal range.     

Kinetics and mechanism of oxidation of chloramphenicol by 1-chlorobenzotriazole in acidic medium

Chloramphenicol (CAP) is an antibiotic drug having a wide spectrum of activity. The kinetics of oxidation of chloramphenicol by 1-chlorobenzotriazole (CBT) in HClO₄ medium over the temperature range 293–323 K has been investigated. The reaction exhibits first-order kinetics with respect to [CBT]_o and zero-order with respect to [CAP]_o. The fractional-order dependence of rate on [H⁺] suggests complex formation between CBT and H⁺. It fails to induce polymerization of acrylonitrile under the experimental conditions employed. Activation parameters are evaluated. The observed solvent isotope effect indicates the absence of hydride transfer during oxidation. Effects of dielectric constant and ionic strength of the medium on the reaction rate have been studied. Oxidation products are identified. A suitable reaction scheme is proposed and an appropriate rate law is deduced to account for the observed kinetic data.     

Kinetic, mechanistic and spectral investigation of ruthenium (III)-catalysed oxidation of atenolol by alkaline permanganate (stopped-flow technique)

Kinetics of ruthenium (III) catalyzed oxidation of atenolol by permanganate in alkaline medium at constant ionic strength of 0.30 mol dm³ has been studied spectrophotometrically using a rapid kinetic accessory. Reaction between permanganate and atenolol in alkaline medium exhibits 1 : 8 stoichiometry (atenolol : KMnO₄). The reaction shows first-order dependence on [permanganate] and [ruthenium (III)] and apparently less than unit order on both atenolol and alkali concentrations. Reaction rate decreases with increase in ionic strength and increases with decreasing dielectric constant of the medium. Initial addition of reaction products does not affect the rate significantly. A mechanism involving the formation of a complex between catalyst and substrate has been proposed. The active species of ruthenium (III) is understood as [Ru(H₂O)₅OH]₂₊. The reaction constants involved in the different steps of mechanism are calculated. Activation parameters with respect to the slow step of the mechanism are computed and discussed and thermodynamic quantities are also calculated.     

Phase behaviour of thermotropic banana-shaped compounds under pressure

The phase behaviour of two achiral bent core banana-shaped compounds, the hexyloxy (compound I) and decyloxy (compound II) members of the 1,3-phenylene bis[N-(2-hydroxy-4-n-alkoxybenzylidene)-4'-aminobenzoate] series was investigated under hydrostatic pressures up to 300 MPa using high pressure differential thermal analysis and light transmission methods. The reversible transition sequence crystal (Cr₁)-B₁ phase-isotropic liquid (I), observed at room pressure for compound I, remains in the pressure region up to c 70 MPa. At higher pressures a pressure-induced crystalline phase (Cr_i) appears between the Cr₁ and B₁ phases, its temperature region becoming wider with increasing pressure. The temperature vs. pressure phase diagram shows a triple point of 72.9 MPa and 160.3°C for the Cr₁, Cr_i and B₁ phases, indicating the lower limit of pressure for the Cr_i phase. In compound II the reversible transition sequence crystal (Cr₁)-B₂ phase-I is seen over the whole pressure region, and the temperature range of the B₂ phase remains unaltered. It is concluded that both the B₁ and B₂ banana phases are stable over the whole pressure region studied.     

Twin-seeded BaTiO3 ceramics

Grain size is important in the barium titanate ceramics used as capacitors and thermistors. Normally this is controlled by chemical additives and firing schedules, but growth twins also lead to increased grain size. Seeding experiments described in this paper demonstrate how the twins can be used to produce large-grained BaTiO₃ ceramics.     

Estimation of slow diffusion rates in confined systems: CCl4 in zeolite NaA

Often the rate of passage of gaseous molecules through model zeolites is too small to be computed directly. An estimate for the rate of passage of CCl₄ through the 8-ring window in a model of zeolite A has been obtained by combining a direct evaluation of the free energy profile and an adaptation of the rare events method. First the free energy profile is found from a direct evaluation of the canonical partition function at high dilution and the transition state theory rate constant obtained. The dynamic correction factor is then estimated from molecular dynamics runs and used to compute the actual rate k_eff. The method is used to estimate the rate of passage through the 8-ring window in a rigid model of zeolite A, and the results are compared with those obtained from rigid models with expanded windows and from the flexible model. Even a small expansion in the 8-ring window diameter increases the rate significantly, but the changes associated with a flexible cage are small.     

Mechanistic and Spectral Studies of the Ruthenium(III) Catalysed Oxidation of Sulfanilic Acid by Alkaline Hexacyanoferrate(III)

Summary. The kinetics of ruthenium(III) catalysed oxidation of sulfanilic acid (p-aminobenzenesulfonic acid) by hexacyanoferrate(III) in alkaline medium at a constant ionic strength of 2.5mol·dm^–3 has been studied spectrophotometrically using a rapid kinetic accessory. The reaction exhibits 2:8 stoichiometry (SNA:HCF(III)). The reaction showed first order kinetics in [hexacyanoferrate(III)] and [ruthenium(III)] and apparent less than unit order in both sulfanilic acid and alkali concentrations. The reaction rate increases with increasing ionic strength but the relative permittivity (_T) of the medium has a negligible effect on the rate of the reaction. Initial addition of reaction products did not affect the rate significantly. A mechanism involving the formation of a complex between sulfanilic acid and hydroxylated species of ruthenium(III) has been proposed. The active species of HCF(III) and ruthenium(III) are understood as [Fe(CN)₆^3–] and [Ru(H₂O)₅OH]²⁺, respectively. The main products were identified by IR, NMR, and mass spectral studies. The reaction constants involved in the different steps of mechanism are calculated. The activation parameters with respect to the slow step of the mechanism are computed and discussed and thermodynamic quantities are also calculated.