1. Crystallization kinetics of (S)-4′-(1-methylheptyloxycarbonyl)biphenyl-4-yl 4-[4-(2,2,3,3,4,4,4-heptafluorobutoxy)but-1-oxy]-2-fluorobenzoate.
- Author
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Deptuch, Aleksandra, Lalik, Sebastian, Jasiurkowska-Delaporte, Małgorzata, Urbańska, Magdalena, and Marzec, Monika
- Abstract
Chiral liquid crystalline compounds belonging to the homologous series of (S)-4′-(1-methylheptyloxycarbonyl)biphenyl-4-yl 4-[m-(2,2,3,3,4,4,4-heptafluorobutoxy)alk-1-oxy]-2-fluorobenzoates show various behaviors on cooling depending on the length of the C
m H2m chain. The homologue with m = 2 crystallizes, while for m = 5, 6, 7, and presumably also for m = 3, the glass of the anticlinic smectic CA * phase is formed. The previous results for m = 4 suggest that this homologue may also be a glassformer. This paper presents the study of the crystallization kinetics for the compound with m = 4 in isothermal conditions (by polarizing optical microscopy) and for the 5–40 K min−1 cooling rates (by differential scanning calorimetry). Microscopic observations enable estimation of the energy barrier for nucleation, which equals 409 kJ mol−1 . The threshold cooling rate necessary for complete vitrification of the smectic CA * phase, obtained by extrapolating the enthalpy change during crystallization to zero, is equal to 81 K min−1 or 64 K min−1 for the linear and parabolic fits, respectively. The structural studies by X-ray diffraction show that crystal phases have lamellar structures both in the pristine sample and after crystallization from the melt but with different layer spacing. A weak relaxation process is detected in the sample after melt crystallization, revealing the presence of the conformational disorder. The dynamic glass transition temperature of the SmCA * phase, estimated from the relaxation time of the PH process (as the α-relaxation time could not be registered in a wide enough temperature range), is 244 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2024
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