| Abstract: | An N,N‐disubstituted 4‐[(4‐aminophenyl)diazenyl]benzaldehyde (‘azo dye') with nematic phase was synthesized by reaction of the phenylpiperazine derivative with the formylbenzenediazonium salt. The salt was prepared by a simplified reaction of poly(aminobenzaldehyde) with NaNO2 in the presence of HBF4. The azo dye was further studied by crystallography. On the basis of molecular stacking identified from crystallography, the molecular modeling was carried out to explore the molecular interactions, and it was found that the attraction of two coplanar molecules with side‐to‐side contact is favored, and a nematic phase is thus formed during the thermal process. |
