Mesomorphic phase transition behaviour of photopolymerisable liquid crystalline triphenylene ether compounds

Abstract

This report discusses the preparation and the unusual mesomorphism of three homologues of photopolymerisable triphenylene ether compounds. These homologues showed ‘a cold crystallisation’ on heating differential scanning calorimetry curves, and this phenomenon is attenuated with increase methylene units, spacers between the triphenylene core and the terminal photopolymerisable acrylate group. Classical textures of hexagonal columnar (Col_h) mesophase were observed by polarising optical microscopy for all three photopolymerisable mesophase compounds described here. Also described is the mesomorphism of their intermediates, hydroxylalkoxytriphenylenes. In some cases, the discotic columnar hexagonal mesophases were confirmed by wide angle X-ray scattering techniques.

Keywords:

• mesomorphism
• photopolymerisable triphenylene ether compound
• cold crystallisation
• hexagonal columnar mesophase

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by a grant from the Fundamental R&D Program for Core Technology of Materials funded by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, Republic of Korea.