Induced Smectic-G Phase Through Intermolecular Hydrogen Bonding,Part XIII: Impact of a Nematogen on Phase Behaviour of Hydrogen-Bonded Liquid Crystals

A series of hydrogen-bonded mesogens, p-( p′-methoxybenzylidene)-cyanoaniline:p-n-alkoxybenzoic acids (MBCA:nABA), is synthesised by using liquid-crystalline p-n-alkoxybenzoic acids (nABA) (where n represents alkoxy carbon numbers, 3-10 and 12) and a nematogen, p-( p′-methoxybenzylidene)-cyanoaniline (MBCA). The thermal and phase behaviour of these compounds is studied by thermal microscopy (TM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DCS) techniques. These studies reveal the induction of smectic-G phase in all the compounds. The structural elucidation pertaining to the formation and stabilisation of intermolecular hydrogen bonding is carried out by a detailed IR spectral investigation. The impact of imino group of the nematogen, MBCA, on the liquid-crystallinity of the present series is realised from the comparative studies made on the reported analogous series, p-aminobenzonitrile:p-n-alkoxybenzoic acids (ABN:nABA).