Spontaneously modulated chiral nematic structures of flexible bent-core liquid crystal dimers

ABSTRACT

We report the induction of spontaneously undulated chiral nematic structures of liquid crystal (LC) dimers with rigid aromatic molecular arms linked by flexible chains with an odd number of carbons. When a small amount of chiral dopants (CD) are added to the dimers, we find the formation of different stripe textures on cooling 4–10 μm films in the nematic phase. The temperature where the stripes form depends on the film thickness and the direction of the stripes depends on the CD concentrations. We show that the experimentally observed stripes are due to undulation instabilities that spontaneously form as a result of the anomalously small bend elastic constant that prefers director bend instead of twist deformation, the opposite of the situation in usual cholesteric LCs.     

A 3D structural and conformational study of procyanidin dimers in water and hydro-alcoholic media as viewed by NMR and molecular modeling

The three-dimensional structures of 5 procyanidin dimers have been determined in a hydro-alcoholic medium and in water using 2D NMR and molecular mechanics. They are made from monomers of catechin (CAT) and epicatechin (EPI)-B1: EPI-CAT, B2: EPI-EPI, B3: CAT-CAT, B4: CAT-EPI and B2g: EPI-EPI-3-O-gallate. These tannins exist in two conformations that are in slow exchange in the NMR timescale (s), one is compact and the other extended. The compact form is found to dominate (76-98%) when the dimer is made of at least one CAT monomer (B1, B3, B4). Both forms are found in even proportions only in the case of procyanidin B2. The latter tannin can be converted into a dominant compact form when the lower EPI unit is galloylated. The finding of a predominant compact form for procyanidin dimers is discussed in relation with tannin-saliva protein interactions that are of importance for the wine-tasting/making processes.     

Preferential occupation of alkaline-earth metal sites in a seemingly disordered solid solution of Ca11−xSrxSb10: Single crystal structures of Ca8.63(5)Sr2.37Sb10 and Ca3.66(7)Sr7.34Sb10

Two new antimony based intermetallic phases, Ca_8.63(5)Sr_2.37Sb₁₀(1) and Ca_3.66(7)Sr_7.34Sb₁₀(2), crystallizing in Ho₁₁Ge₁₀ structure type (tetragonal, I4/mmm) have been synthesized and characterized. Although both Ca₁₁Sb₁₀ and Sr₁₁Sb₁₀ are known to be isostructural (Ho₁₁Ge₁₀ structure type) and hence all Ca sites should be accessible to Sr as well, it appears that certain sites are preferentially ordered by Ca in the mixed (Ca/Sr)₁₁Sb₁₀ compounds reported here. The crystal structure of Ca_8.63(5)Sr_2.37Sb₁₀ and Ca_3.66(7)Sr_7.34Sb₁₀ has been solved from single crystal X-ray data using direct methods and refined using full-matrix least-squares method. The structure can be described as bonded network of A-Sb (A=Ca, Sr) with Sb existing as isolated Sb³⁻, diantimony and square units. Simple valence electron count reveals these compounds to be Zintl phases. It is found that the larger Sr or Sr/Ca ions preferentially occupy sites that are closer to the diantimony anions as compared to the smaller Ca ions.     

Ab initio analysis of monomers and dimers of trialkylphosphine oxides: Structural and thermodynamic stability

Structural and thermodynamic stabilities of monomers and dimers of trialkylphosphine oxides (TRPO) were studied using quantum chemistry calculations. Density functional theory calculations were carried out and the structures of four TRPO have been determined: TMPO (methyl; R = CH₃), TEPO (ethyl; R = CH₃CH₂), TBPO (n‐butyl; R = CH₃(CH₂)₃), and TOPO (n‐octyl; R = CH₃(CH₂)₇). TRPO homodimers were investigated considering two isomeric possibilities for each dimer. Relative binding energies and the enthalpic and entropic contributions to the Gibbs free energy were calculated for all dimers. The formation of dimers from the individual monomeric TRPO species as a function of temperature was also analyzed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2009     

Crystal‐State Photochromism and Dual‐Mode Mechanochromism of an Organic Molecule with Fluorescence,Room‐Temperature Phosphorescence,and Delayed Fluorescence

A D‐A‐D′ type pure organic molecule, named ODFRCZ, has unique triple‐emission character covering fluorescence, phosphorescence, and delayed fluorescence (DF). The phosphorescence of ODFRCZ has a rather long lifetime of about 350 ms at room temperature. One dimer of ODFRCZ with enhanced parallel molecular packing acts more effectively to prompt ISC processes, which further generates room‐temperature phosphorescence (RTP), owing to the larger transition dipole moment and closer energy level between S₁ and T_n. ODFRCZ is a rare example of an organic RTP molecule that shows dual‐stimuli responsiveness of dual‐mode mechanochromism (fluorescence red‐shift and RTP/DF on‐off switch) and reversible crystal‐state photochromism. This work may broaden the knowledge for stimuli‐responsive RTP organic molecules and lay the foundation for their wide‐scale applications.     

“Dimers of Dimers” of Ruthenium(I): Ru···BRu <Emphasis Type="Italic">vs.</Emphasis> Ru···BO Axial Interactions

Two new mixed ligand ruthenium(I) complexes of the composition [Ru₂(O₂CR)₂(CO)₅] (where R = (2,4-CF₃)₂C₆H₃ (1) and (3,5-CF₃)₂C₆H₃ (2)) have been prepared by melt reactions, and both have been fully characterized. Crystals of 1 and 2 have been obtained by gas phase sublimation of crude products at 124 and 150°C, respectively. The X-ray diffraction studies have revealed a tetranuclear ‘dimer of dimers’ core structure in both cases. In 1 two diruthenium(I) units cis-bridged by two carboxylates each are coordinated through the Ru···FO axial interactions at 2.301(2) Å. In contrast, complex 2 shows the direct Ru···FRu bonding of two diruthenium units at 2.9065(9) Å. The Ru–Ru distances within the dinuclear units are 2.6654(7) and 2.6859(8) Å in 1 and 2, respectively.     

Computer simulation of band shapes in electronic absorption spectra of dimers of organic dyes

The band shapes in the absorption spectra of dimers of cyanine dyes were simulated using a combination of an empirical molecular force field for the ground state with quantum-chemical calculations of the electron excitation energy as a function of normal nuclear coordinates. The shape and the width of an absorption band strongly depend on the mutual arrangement of the monomers. If the monomers are located one directly above the other, the sublevels arising from intramolecular vibrations disappear in the spectrum, and a large hypsochromic shift of the 0-0-transition band is observed, which results mainly from through-space interaction of monomer orbitals. If the monomers are strongly shifted relative to each other, the sublevels mentioned are also absent in the spectrum, but the bathochromic shift of the 0-0-transition band is small and results from interaction of dipole moments of electron transitions. A rather broad region of intermediate structures is found between these dimer forms, where the interaction of dipole moments of electron transitions in monomers is low, and the shapes of absorption bands are similar to those of the monomers.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1705–1710, September, 1995.This work was financially supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (Project No. 94-03-08539) and the International Science Foundation (Grant M1Z 000).     

Phosphoric acid solutions. I: Molecular association in a 57.8 molal aqueous solution

A 57.8 molal solution of orthophosphoric acid (85% w/w) has been studied by the wide angle X-ray scattering method. Both the ARDF and the intensity curve are consistent with a hydrogen-bonded ring structure for the dimeric (H₃PO₄)₂.     

Rare gas dimers in a nozzle beam

Supersonic expansion from a nozzle produces noble gas clusters under various source conditions. The characteristics of atoms and dimers in a nozzle beam are examined. A study of the dimer collision cross-section suggests the existence of a temperature-dependent limiting oven pressure (P _L ) for the observation of pure dimers. This is further supported by the dependence of the beam intensity on stagnation pressure. The reduced pressure-temperature coordinates for noble gas dimers behave in accordance with the model of corresponding jets. The velocity distribution of atoms and dimers in a beam corresponding to stagnation pressure on either side ofP _L is measured to determine the effect of condensation on the distribution pattern.     

Excitation Energy Transport in a Concentrated System of Flavomononucleotide in Polyvinyl Alcohol Films

Excitation energy transport mechanism of flavomononucleotide polyvinyl alcohol films is studied. Excitation wavelength and temperature dependences of fluorescence spectra and quantum yields for different concentrations of the dye are investigated. These measurements together with those of absorption reveal that dimers are imperfect traps for excitation energy and that the energy transfer can occur both in the forward and in the reverse direction. It was found that, contrary to liquid solutions, the dimerization constant of flavomononucleotide in polyvinyl alcohol films does not depend on temperature and that the irregularities observed can be explained by the temperature-dependent changes in the quantum yield of the monomer–dimer system and the effect of inhomogeneous orientation broadening of energy levels.