Synthesis and characterization of smectic polymesomorphism in higher homologues of nO.m compounds

Abstract

Some of the higher homologues of the N-(p-n-alkoxybenzylidene)p-n-alkylanilines, n O.m, compounds with n ≧ 8 and m ≧ 5 have been synthesized and the smectic polymesomorphism studied. The transition temperatures were obtained from both thermal microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. These compounds in the n O.m series exhibit the usual phase sequences, viz. S_AS_CS_BS_G, and S_AS_BS_G apart from S_AS_CS_FS_G by 9O.8 (and some higher n O.m, like 9O.6). These phases were confirmed by miscibility studies with standard materials. The smectic F phase in 9O.8 compound is also confirmed by an X-ray diffraction study.