Smectic liquid crystals from supramolecular guanidinium alkanesulfonates

The thermotropic polymorphism of a series of guanidinium alkanesulfonates (6 < or = n < or = 18) was investigated by optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Hydrogen bonding was analyzed by infrared spectroscopy. Molecular volumes were measured by dilatometry. The structure of the crystal, smectic A, and ordered smectic phases observed were studied by X-ray diffraction and utilized to prove that the supramolecular arrangement of the molecules in the crystal survives in the smectic phases at high temperature.