Mesophase crystallization

The phase behavior of several polybibenzoates with oxyalkylene spacers has been reported [11,14,15,20-27]. These spacers include the dimer of trimethylene glycol and different ethylene oxide oligomers. The most noticeable characteristic of these polybibenzoates with ether groups in the spacer is the considerable decrease of the rate of the mesophase-crystal transformation. Thus, Fig. 8 shows the DSC curves corresponding to a sample of poly[oxybis(trimethylene)p,p -bibenzoate], PDTMB, with a structure similar to that of P7MB but with the... 

Focusing attention on PTEB, it has been found that, similar to the case of PDTMB, the mesophase experiences a very slow transformation into the crystal. Thus, only the isotropization is observed in a sample freshly cooled from the melt [27]. However, after a long time at room temperature, the transformation mesophase-crystal is produced, owing to a glass transition temperature of about 14°C. Moreover, several endotherms were obtained before the final isotropization for a sample of PTEB annealed at 85°C for 12 days, i.e., PTEB shows enantiotropic behavior. The different endotherms may arise from polymorphism or melting-recrystallization phenomena [30]. 

The macromolecular nature complicates the study of the condis state due to the common limitation to small, and often defect, crystalsThe low d ree of crystallinity of macromolecules makes it sometimes difficult to distinguish between long-range perfection in small crystals or the presence of larger volumes of less perfect mesophase crystals or glasses. 

Keywords Mesophase Crystallization Random coil Folded-chain fringed-micellar grains Flow... 

The phase behavior of thermotropic LC and LCP compounds is characterized by distinct and reversible isotropic-mesophase and mesophase-crystal transitions, with kinetics of transformation that are largely influenced by the chemical structure and mesophase type. Price and Wendorff [119] showed for a series of LCs that aU phase transitions (from isotropic melt to mesophase and to crystal) are controlled by the nucle-ation and, under isothermal conditions, can be kineti-cally described by the Avrami equation (Eq. 10.14),... 

There has been much activity in the study of monolayer phases via the new optical, microscopic, and diffraction techniques described in the previous section. These experimental methods have elucidated the unit cell structure, bond orientational order and tilt in monolayer phases. Many of the condensed phases have been classified as mesophases having long-range correlational order and short-range translational order. A useful analogy between monolayer mesophases and die smectic mesophases in bulk liquid crystals aids in their characterization (see [182]). 

Molecules tliat are capable of fonning liquid crystal phases are called mesogens and have properties tliat are mesogenic. From the same root, tire tenn mesophase can be used instead of liquid crystal phase. A substance in a liquid crystal phase is tenned a liquid crystal. These conventions follow tliose in tire Handbook of Liquid Crystals, [4, 5 and 6] tire nomenclature of which [7] for various liquid crystal phases is adopted elsewhere in tliis section. 

Kurst G R, R A Stephens and R W Phippen 1990. Computer Simulation Studies of Anisotropic iystems XIX. Mesophases Formed by the Gay-Berne Model Mesogen. Liquid Crystals 8 451-464. e F J, F Has and M Orozco 1990. Comparative Study of the Molecular Electrostatic Potential Ibtained from Different Wavefunctions - Reliability of the Semi-Empirical MNDO Wavefunction. oumal of Computational Chemistry 11 416-430. 

Lyophobic colloids Lyotropic liquid crystals Lyotropic mesophases Lyotropic polymers Lyral [31906-04-4]... 

The positional order of the molecules within the smectic layers disappears when the smectic B phase is heated to the smectic A phase. Likewise, the one-dimensional positional order of the smectic M phase is lost in the transition to the nematic phase. AH of the transitions given in this example are reversible upon heating and cooling they are therefore enantiotropic. When a given Hquid crystal phase can only be obtained by changing the temperature in one direction (ie, the mesophase occurs below the soHd to isotropic Hquid transition due to supercooling), then it is monotropic. An example of this is the smectic A phase of cholesteryl nonanoate [1182-66-7] (4), which occurs only if the chiral nematic phase is cooled (21). The transitions are aH reversible as long as crystals of the soHd phase do not form. 

The importance of unsaturation is illustrated by the fact that 2,4-nonadienoic acid [21643-39-0] forms a Hquid crystal phase, whereas the aHphatic carboxyHc acids do not. The two double bonds enhance the polarizabiHty of the molecule and bring iatermolecular attractions to a level that is suitable for mesophase formation. The overall linearity of the molecule must not be sacrificed ia poteatial Hquid crystal candidates. For example, whereas /n j - -aIkoxyciaaamic acids (5) are mesomorphic, the cis isomers (6) are not, a reflection of the greater anisotropy of the trans isomer. 

The polyamides are soluble in high strength sulfuric acid or in mixtures of hexamethylphosphoramide, /V, /V- dim ethyl acetam i de and LiCl. In the latter, compHcated relationships exist between solvent composition and the temperature at which the Hquid crystal phase forms. The polyamide solutions show an abmpt decrease in viscosity which is characteristic of mesophase formation when a critical volume fraction of polymer ( ) is exceeded. The viscosity may decrease, however, in the Hquid crystal phase if the molecular ordering allows the rod-shaped entities to gHde past one another more easily despite the higher concentration. The Hquid crystal phase is optically anisotropic and the texture is nematic. The nematic texture can be transformed to a chiral nematic texture by adding chiral species as a dopant or incorporating a chiral unit in the main chain as a copolymer (30). 

No coherent threadline could be maintained and the extmdate flew off the windup as short, brittle, crystalline lengths. Not until many years later did other workers show that this polymer on cooling exhibits a mesophase transition directly from the isotropic melt to a smectic A phase. Good sources of information on Hquid crystals and Hquid crystal polymers are available (212—216). 

Mesogenic diols, such as 4,4 -bis( CO-hydtoxyaLkoxy)biphenyls, ate used with 2,4-TDI or 1,4-diisocyanatobenzene (PPDI) to constmct Hquid crystalline polyurethanes (7). Partial replacement of the mesogenic diols by PTMG shows that the use of lower molecular weight flexible spacers form polymers that have a more stable mesophase and exhibit higher crystallinity (8). Another approach to Hquid crystal polyurethanes involves the attachment of cholesterol to the polyurethane chain utilizing the dual reactivity in 2,4-TDI (9). 

Pitches can be transformed to a mesophase state by further chemical and physical operations. Heat treatment of conventional pitches results in additional aromatic polymeriza tion and the distillation of low molecular weight components. This results in an increase in size and concentration of large planar aromatic molecular species whereupon the precursor pitch is transformed to a mesophase state exhibiting the characteristics of nematic Hquid crystals (1). Additional heat treatment converts the mesophase pitch to an infusible aromatic hydrocarbon polymer designated as coke. 

The separation of Hquid crystals as the concentration of ceUulose increases above a critical value (30%) is mosdy because of the higher combinatorial entropy of mixing of the conformationaHy extended ceUulosic chains in the ordered phase. The critical concentration depends on solvent and temperature, and has been estimated from the polymer chain conformation using lattice and virial theories of nematic ordering (102—107). The side-chain substituents govern solubiHty, and if sufficiently bulky and flexible can yield a thermotropic mesophase in an accessible temperature range. AcetoxypropylceUulose [96420-45-8], prepared by acetylating HPC, was the first reported thermotropic ceUulosic (108), and numerous other heavily substituted esters and ethers of hydroxyalkyl ceUuloses also form equUibrium chiral nematic phases, even at ambient temperatures. 

The heHcoidal stmcture of such Hquid crystals can be carried to the soHd state by cross-linking (119,120) or by careful evaporation of solvent (121,122). Underivatized ceUulose can also form ordered mesophases (123,124), and gel films precipitated from lithium chloride—dimethyl acetamide retain some mesophase stmcture (122). 

The rigid nature of the mesophase pitch molecules creates a strong relationship between flow and orientation. In this regard, mesophase pitch may be considered to be a discotic nematic liquid crystal. The flow behavior of liquid crystals of the nematic type has been described by a continuum theory proposed by Leslie [36] and Ericksen [37]. 

Martin [25] has also shown that ammonium salts display similar behavior. [Cetyltrimethylammonium]2[ZnCl4], for example, first melts to an Sc-type liquid crystal at 70 °C and then to an S -type mesophase at 160 °C. The broad diffraction features observed in the liquid-crystalline phases are similar to those seen in the original crystal phase and show the retention on melting of some of the order originating from the initial crystal, as shown in Figure 4.1-6. 

Several works have been published about the phase behavior of polybibenzoates, showing the ability of the biphenyl group to produce mesophase structures. Different spacers have been used, and the results show that the structure of the spacer influences very much the transition temperatures and the nature and stability of the mesophases, as well as the ability to generate three-dimensional crystals. 

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