Abstract
A series of heterocyclic liquid crystalline compounds containing 1,3,4-oxadiazole/thiadiazole, furan and thiophene units were synthesised and characterised by means of electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), high-resolution mass spectroscopy (HRMS), 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and 13C NMR. The thermal behaviours were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarised optical microscopy (POM). The effect of the 1,3,4-oxadiazole, 1,3,4-thiadiazole, furan, thiophene and benzene rings on the liquid crystalline properties was discussed briefly in context with the geometrical and electronic factors. The results showed that the tendency to form mesophases follows the sequence: 1,4-disustituted benzene >2,5-disubstituted thiophene >2,5-disustituted furan and 1,3,4-thiadiazole >1,3,4-oxadiazole.
Acknowledgement
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project No. 20772064).