Thermal properties of a disc-like compound benzene-hexa-n-pentanoate: a precursor of a discotic mesogen

Abstract

The heat capacity of a disk-like compound, benzene-hexa-n-pentanoate (BH5), a precursor of a discotic mesogen, has been measured by adiabatic calorimetry between 13 and 390 K. BH5 showed four different crystalline phases, but no liquid crystalline phase. Molar entropy and transition entropies were determined and compared with those of other homologues (BH6, BH7, and BH8). An odd-even effect with respect to the number of carbon atoms in the alkyl chain was observed for the cumulative entropies of the phase transitions occurring in the solid state. This effect is discussed by comparing with data for the n-alkanes. The molar entropies of the crystalline state, especially below 250 K, exhibited a peculiar 'pairing effect' between BH(2m- 1) and BH(2m), where m is an integer.