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Two series of chiral liquid crystal compounds were synthesised from benzoic acid containing cholesterol with different carbon-chain lengths and bisphenol monoester containing camphoric acid with different carbon-chain lengths, named BCP-C and DCP-C. The structure of the monomers is characterised by IR, 1H NMR and 13C NMR, which indicate that the synthesised molecule conforms to the molecular design. The textures of monomers were characterised by POM, and their selective reflection was studied. It was found that the synthesised liquid crystal compounds exhibited good liquid crystal and optical properties. The phase transition behaviour was characterised using DSC, and the results were consistent with those observed by POM. TGA showed that they had good thermal stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, first series of liquid crystal polymers (PF) synthesised by hydrosilylation of monomer containing furan group (MA), monomer containing cholesterol group (MB), monomer containing D (+)-camphoric acid group (MC) and monomer containing cyano-group (MD), catalysed by platinum catalyst. Another series of liquid crystal polymers (EF) is synthesised by the Dies-Alder reaction of the former series and cross-linker containing bismaleimide group. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance(1H NMR) showed the successful preparation of various monomers as well as polymers. The thermal properties of two series were characterised by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry analysis (TGA). We observed dramatic colour changes and Grand-jean textures of polymers using polarised optical macroscope (POM). The results of POM and selective reflection showed that both series of polymers are cholesteric liquid crystals. In the latter series, crosslinking by Diels-Alder reaction can make the liquid crystal better oriented, which can maintain their wonderful liquid crystal (LC) texture and selective reflection, and at the same time, it has a certain regulation effect on the appearance of cholesteric Grand-jean blue texture. The results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) further proved the two series of polymers are cholesteric liquid crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, five cyclic nitrone superoxide spin adducts, i.e. DMPO-OOH, M3PO-OOH, EMPO-OOH, DEPMPO-OOH and DEPDMPO-OOH, were chosen as model compounds to investigate the effect of 2,5-subsitituents on their stability, through structural analysis and decay thermodynamics using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Analysis of the optimized geometries reveals that none of the previously proposed stabilizing factors, including intramolecular H-bonds, intramolecular non-bonding interactions, bulky steric protection nor the C(2)–N(1) bond distance can be used to clearly explain the effect of 2,5-substituents on the stability of the spin adducts. Subsequent study found that spin densities on the nitroxyl nitrogen and oxygen are well correlated with the half-lives of the spin adducts and consequently are the proper parameters to characterize the effect of 2,5-substituents on their stability. Examination of the decomposition thermodynamics further supports the effect of the substituents on the persistence of cyclic nitrone superoxide spin adducts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]