Synthesis and Spectral Studies of Some Homo Dinuclear Lanthanide(III) Complexes of a Mesogenic Schiff Base

A mesogenic Schiff base, N,N’-di(4-decyloxysalicylidene)-1’,8’-diamino-3’,6’-dioxaoctane (H2L) and a series of homo dinuclear lanthanide(III) complexes of the type [Ln2(LH2)3(NO3)4](NO3)2, (Ln = La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, and Ho) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, FTIR, and NMR spectral techniques. The IR and NMR spectral evidences imply bonding of a neutral bidentate H2L species through two phenolate oxygen atoms in its zwitterionic form to LnIII, rendering the overall geometry of the complexes as a seven-coordinate polyhedron – possibly distorted mono-capped octahedron. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarizing optical icroscopic (POM) studies reveal mesogenic properties (smectic-X, smectic-A and nematic mesophases) in the ligand over a wide range of temperature but none mesomorphism in the LnIII complexes synthesized under this study. Luminescence studies exhibit emissions of H2L and TbIII complex.

Polymorphic Phases of Supramolecular Liquid Crystal Complexes Laterally Substituted with Chlorine

New supramolecular complexes, based on H-bonding interactions between 4-(pyridin-4-yl) azo-(2-chlorophenyl) 4-alkoxybenzoates (Bn) and 4-[(4-(n-hexyloxy)phenylimino)methyl]benzoic acid (A6), were prepared and their thermal and mesomorphic properties investigated via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) in order to confirm their H-bonding interactions. The mesophase behavior of each mixture was examined by DSC and polarized optical microscopy (POM). According to the findings of the study, in all of the designed mixtures, the introduction of laterally polar chlorine atom to the supramolecular complexes produces polymorphic compounds possessing smectic A, smectic C and nematic mesophases, in addition, all products have low melting transitions. Thermal stabilities of the associated phases depend on the position and orientation of the lateral polar Cl− atom as well as the length of terminal flexible alkoxy chain. Comparisons were made between the present lateral Cl− complexes and previously investigated laterally-neat complexes in order to investigate the impact of the addition, nature and orientation of polar substituent on the mesomorphic behavior. The investigations revealed that, the polarity and mesomeric nature of inserted lateral substituent into the base component play an essential role in affecting their mesomorphic properties. Furthermore, for current complexes, induced polymorphic phases have been found by introducing the chlorine atom.

Antibacterial Activity and Mesophase Identification of Azomethnine and Azo derivatives

A new mesogenic homologous series of liquid crystalline azomethnine and azo derivatives of 4ꞌ-nalkoxybenzylidiene- 4-aminoazobenzene has been synthesized and characterized by a combination of elemental analysis and standard spectroscopic methods. In the present series, nematic mesophase commences from n-propyloxy derivative as enantiotropic and persists up to the last member synthesized except in derivative C10. The smectic A (SmA) mesophases commences from n-pentyloxy derivative as enantiotropic and also persists up to ntetradecyloxy synthesized. Imine linkage (-CH═N-) between central and terminal benzene rings helping to understand the polarizability effect as well as nature of mesophase as stability gets reduced due to the presence of nitrogen in the ring. The mesomorphic properties of present series are of great importance to evaluate the effects of central linkage on mesomorphism. The mesomorphic properties of present series were compared with other structurally related mesogenic homologous series to evaluate the effects of central linkage on mesomorphism.

Defect Structures of Magnetic Nanoparticles in Smectic A Liquid Crystals

Topological defects in anisotropic fluids like liquid crystals serve as a playground for the research of various effects. In this study, we concentrated on a hybrid system of chiral rod-like molecules doped by magnetic nanoparticles. In textures of the smectic A phase, we observed linear defects and found that clusters of nanoparticles promote nucleation of smectic layer defects just at the phase transition from the isotropic to the smectic A (SmA) phase. In different geometries, we studied and analysed creation of defects which can be explained by attractive elastic forces between nanoparticles in the SmA phase. On cooling the studied hybrid system, clusters grow up to the critical dimension, and the smectic texture is stabilised. The presented effects are theoretically described and explained if we consider the elastic interaction of two point defects and stabilisation of prismatic dislocation loops due to the presence of nanoparticles.