Mesomorphic and optical properties of undoped and doped azomethines

Three calamitic azomethines were prepared by the condensation of the benzene-1,4-dicarboxaldehyde with the three aliphatic amines (LCOA1–LCOA3). The structures of the azomethines were characterized by means of FTIR, 1H, 13C NMR spectroscopies and elemental analysis; the results showed an agreement with the proposed structure. The azomethines emitted blue or green light. An influence of n-decyl sulfonic acid (DSA) on mesomorphic behaviors, absorption and emission wavelengths was investigated. The liquid crystalline properties of the azomethines were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarizing optical microscopy (POM) and wide and small angle X-ray diffraction (WAXS and SAXS). The mesomorphic properties of the compounds depend on both the length of the outer flexible spacers and the kind of connection between the alkyl groups and the imine group, i.e. directly via aliphatic chain or by phenyl ring. LCOA1–LCOA2 exhibited smectic and nematic phases, whereas the LCOA3 did not exhibit thermotropic liquid crystal properties. Basing on the comparison of thermal behaviors and optoelectronic properties of undoped (LCOAX) and doped (LCOAX/DSA) azomethines it was shown that ionic self-organized processes are powerful and are able to tune: i) the processability, ii) the LC behavior, and iii) the maximum of emission band of the synthesized azomethines.