Influence of the lateral alkoxy chain length on the gas chromatographic properties of five liquid crystals

The gas Chromatographic properties of five laterally substituted liquid crystals are the subject of a comparative study. These liquid crystals belong to the homologous series: 2-alkoxy-3-methyl-4-(4-ethoxybenzoyl-oxy)-4′-(4-trans-n-pentyclcyclohexanecarboxyloxy) azobenzene, referred to as ALn, where n, the carbon number in the lateral alkoxy chain, is equal to 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12 carbon atoms. Their thermal properties were established by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It appears that the introduction of a lateral alkoxy chain affects the nematic temperature range which decreases when the carbon number increases. The chromatographic separation abilities of AL4, AL6, AL8, AL10, and AL12 were studied using capillary glass columns. The five liquid cystals are efficient before and after solid-nematic or nematic-liquid transitions; however, the plate numbers are higher in the nematic state. Interesting analytical properties were noted in various fields: iisomeric separation of alkanes, aromatics, polyaromatics, volatile aroma compounds, and cis and trans isomers. However, the chain length does not exert any great influence on the separation abilities.