New mesomorphic organocyclosiloxanes I. Thermal behaviour and mesophase structure of organocyclotetrasiloxanes

Abstract

cis-Cyclotetrasiloxanes of the formula cis-[PhSi(O)(OSiMe₂ R)]₄ with R = Me, CH₂Cl, CH CH₂ and cis-[ClC₆H₄Si(O)(OSiMe₃)]₄ were synthesized and investigated in terms of their thermotropic phase transitions. Two ordered phases were observed for the cis-cyclotetrasiloxanes, one at lower temperature exhibiting the properties of a crystal and one at higher temperature exhibiting the properties of a plastically crystalline (3D) mesophase. A detailed examination of the mesophase behaviour and mesophase structure of octaphenylcyclotetrasiloxane was also carried out. It was shown that the thermal properties and structural characteristics of the mesophase are influenced by the structural characteristics of the substituent attached at the silicon atom in the tetracyclosiloxane. The new mesomorphic cis-cyclotetrasiloxanes are by far the largest molecules reported to date as forming plastic crystals, and the temperature region of the mesophase is much broader than in other plastic crystals. All five cyclotetrasiloxanes studied were found to be isomorphous in the 3D-mesophase and the low temperature forms of the two cis-cyclotetrasiloxanes: PhSi(O)(OSiMe₂ R)₄ (R = Me, CH CH₂) were also isomorphous.