Abstract
A new bell-shaped compound, (dec-9-en-1-yl) 3,5-bis{[4'-(n-nonyloxy)biphenyl-4-carbonyl]oxy}benzoate (I), with symmetrical substitution in positions 3 and 5 of the central ring, was prepared. Although this material was not mesogenic, it exhibited low melting and freezing points and was therefore suitable as a component for mixing studies. These were carried out on a binary system composed of I and the rod-like 4-(n-octyloxy)phenyl 4´-(n-hexyloxy)benzoate (II), which exhibits enantiotropic nematic, as well as monotropic SmC and SmX phases. Selected mixtures were studied by polarising optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction on non-oriented samples. It was found that the binary mixtures exhibit mesomorphic properties close to room temperature.
Acknowledgements
This work has been supported by Grant No. 141020 from the Ministry of Science and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Serbia, the Hungarian Research Funds OTKA K61075, the ESF-COST D35 WG-13/05, COST D35 WG13/05 STSM 03524, the SASA-HAS bilateral scientific exchange project #2, Czech-Hungarian bilateral exchange, Grants No. 202/03/P011, No. 202/09/0047 from the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic and No. OC176 from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic.