Imidazole and benzoimidazole derived new ionic liquid crystal compounds: synthesis, characterisation, mesomorphic properties and DFT computations

ABSTRACT

Four new series of ionic liquid crystals derived from imidazole bromonium and benzimidazole bromonium salts with spacer alkyl chain (C_n, n = 2, 4) were synthesised and characterised. The following tests and measurements have been performed: the FT-IR, ¹H-NMR and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy in addition to a CHN elemental analysis techniques. Both the differential scanning calorimetry and the polarising optical microscopy measurements are applied for the evaluation of liquid crystals properties. The outcome confirms the existence of a smectic A liquid crystalline phase. A Density Functional Theory computations were performed to obtain the shape of the molecular structure that corresponds to the ground-state energy.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Ionic liquid crystals
• 14-Bis(amino-methyl)-benzene
• imidazolium salts
• benzimidazolium salts
• azomethine
• smectic A phase

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the University of Anbar, Iraq. The author AK-T.M would like to thank Professor John West, Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, USA.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors