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Alkylbenzoic and Alkyloxybenzoic Acid Blending for Expanding the Liquid Crystalline State and Improving Its Rheology

Authors :
Anastasiya Y. Yadykova
Ivan I. Konstantinov
Anna V. Vlasova
Lydia A. Varfolomeeva
Sergey O. Ilyin
Source :
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Vol 24, Iss 21, p 15706 (2023)
Publication Year :
2023
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2023.

Abstract

Thermotropic mesogens typically exist as liquid crystals (LCs) in a narrow region of high temperatures, making lowering their melting point with the temperature expansion of the mesophase state an urgent task. Para-substituted benzoic acids can form LCs through noncovalent dimerization into homodimers via hydrogen bonds, whose strength and, consequently, the temperature region of the mesophase state can be potentially altered by creating asymmetric heterodimers from different acids. This work investigates equimolar blends of p-n-alkylbenzoic (kBA, where k is the number of carbon atoms in the alkyl radical) and p-n-alkyloxybenzoic (kOBA) acids by calorimetry and viscometry to establish their phase transitions and regions of mesophase existence. Non-symmetric dimerization of acids leads to the extension of the nematic state region towards low temperatures and the appearance of new monotropic and enantiotropic phase transitions in several cases. Moreover, the crystal–nematic and nematic–isotropic phase changes have a two-step character for some acid blends, suggesting the formation of symmetric and asymmetric associates from heterodimers. The mixing of 6BA and 8OBA most strongly extends the region of the nematic state towards low temperatures (from 95–114 °C and 108–147 °C for initial homodimers, respectively, to 57–133 °C for the resulting heterodimer), whereas the combination of 4OBA and 5OBA gives the most extended high-temperature nematic phase (up to 156 °C) and that of 6BA and 9OBA (or 12OBA) provides the existence of a smectic phase at the lowest temperatures (down to 51 °C).

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
14220067 and 16616596
Volume :
24
Issue :
21
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.511a0d16fa6c44e7a5f3909c291c6842
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242115706