Monotropes

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 variation of the transition temperatures of these polybibenzoates with the number of methylene units in the spacer is shown in the lower part of Fig. 5. Melting temperatures, Tm, (crystal-isotropic melt transition) are obtained [9] for m > 7 and m = 3 (monotropic behavior), while for the other members, Tm really represents the... 

In the case of monotropic behavior, the isotropiza-tion endotherm and the corresponding thermodynamic parameters for the mesophase-isotropic transition can be obtained by isolating the mesophase when cooling from the melt and holding the temperature in a region where the transformation into the crystal is very slow... 

The different phase behaviors are evidenced in the corresponding free energy diagrams, which have been estimated for both polymers [15]. These diagrams are shown in Fig. 10 (due to the different approximations used in the calculation of the free energy differences, these diagrams are only semiquantitative [15]). It can be seen that the monotropic transition of the crystal in... 

The presence of three oxyethylene units in the spacer of PTEB slows down the crystallization from the meso-phase, which is a very rapid process in the analogous polybibenzoate with an all-methylene spacer, P8MB [13]. Other effects of the presence of ether groups in the spacer are the change from a monotropic behavior in P8MB to an enantiotropic one in PTEB, as well as the reduction in the glass transition temperature. This rather interesting behavior led us to perform a detailed study of the dynamic mechanical properties of copolymers of these two poly bibenzoates [41]. 

In some cases, chemical substituents can bring about unusual monotropic liquid crystalline phases which only exist upon heating or cooling. The diphenyl-diacetylenes are examples in this category [22]. Early theoretical connections between molecular electronic structure and orientational order... 

The first report on the liquid crystalline properties of these compounds was published by Gray and Mosley [44] in 1976. The series of 4 -n-alkyl-4-cyanobiphenyls (CBn) have been widely studied by different methods due to their readily accessible nematic ranges around room temperature. The compounds have the phase sequences crystal-nematic-isotropic for CBS, CBIO, and monotropic nematic for CBS, CB4 crystal-smectic A-nematic-isotropic for CB9 crystal-smectic A-isotropic for CBll. The lower homologous CB2 is nonmesogenic. The general chemical structure of the compounds CBn is presented in Fig. 1. 

In this section, we will describe the crystal structures of the mesogenic A -n-alkoxy-4-cyano-biphenyls (Fig. 1) [53-57]. The compounds have the phase sequences crystal-nematic-isotropic for CB05—CB07 and monotropic nematic for CB01-CB04 crystal-smectic A-nematic-isotropic for CB08. The crystal and molecular data of the investigated compounds CBOn are summarised in Table 2. 

Hartung and Rapthel [64] described the crystal structure of the mesogenic 2-methylthio-5-(4 -n-butyloxyphenyl)-pyrimidine which forms a monotropic smectic A phase. The chemical structure of this compound is presented in Fig. 5. The compound crystallises in the triclinic space group PI with two molecules per unit cell. The molecules adopt a fully stretched and nearly planar form. The pyrimidine ring is nearly planar. The dihedral angle between the phenyl and the pyrimidine rings is 22.7°. The molecules are arranged parallel to each other. 

In this section we will report on the crystal structure analyses of mesogenic 2,5-diphenyl pyrimidines. The crystal structure of 5-phenyl-2-(4 -n-butoxy-phenyl)-pyrimidine (5-PBuPP) and 2-phenyl-5-(4 -n-pentoxyphenyl)-pyrimi-dine (2-PPePP) were determined by Winter et al. [83, 84]. Compound 5-PBuPP forms a monotropic nematic phase, whereas compound 2-PPePP exhibits a smectic A mesophase within a wide temperature range. The chemical structure of the mesogenic 2,5-diphenyl pyrimidines is shown in Fig. 13. 

Hartung et al. [102] described the crystal structure of 4 -(/i-cyanoethyl)-phenyl-4- -pentoxybenzoate which exhibits a monotropic nematic phase. The crystal structure of the compound shows a parallel arrangement of the molecules. 

Zareba et al. [165] described the crystal structure of the chiral 4-(l-methyl-heptyloxycarbonyl)-phenyl 4-heptyloxytolane-4 -carboxylate (C7-tolane) which shows monotropic antiferroelectric and ferroelectric phases. The single-crystal X-ray analysis of this compound shows that the crystal has a smectic-like layer structure composed of largely bent molecules where the chain of the chiral group is almost perpendicular (86°) to the core moiety. Within the layers, the molecules are tilted. The central tolane group of the molecule is roughly planar. 

Ceo and higher fullerenes are distinguished from other allotropes of carbon, diamond and graphite, in that they exist as discrete molecules. The spherical or ellipsoidal nature of the monotropes opens up the possibility of intriguing new areas of chemistry. Here we are only interested in the hydrogen (or muonium) adducts, although this study has important implications to the very vigorous and extensive research in fullerene chemistry. 

Most solid materials produce isotropic liquids directly upon melting. However, in some cases one or more intermediate phases are formed (called mesophases), where the material retains some ordered structure but already shows the mobility characteristic of a liquid. These materials are liquid crystal (LCs)(or mesogens) of the thermotropic type, and can display several transitions between phases at different temperatures crystal-crystal transition (between solid phases), melting point (solid to first mesophase transition), mesophase-mesophase transition (when several mesophases exist), and clearing point (last mesophase to isotropic liquid transition) [1]. Often the transitions are observed both upon heating and on cooling (enantiotropic transitions), but sometimes they appear only upon cooling (monotropic transitions). 

Derivatives of aliphatic alkynes (14 and 15) are more thermally unstable than 12, but they show SmA and N phases at low temperatures (below 130 °C). The type of phase and the mesophase stability depend on the length of both the terminal and the lateral chains. When both chains are elongated, the mesomorphism becomes metastable and compounds 14 display monotropic N and SmA transitions. Complexes IS, which contains an ester group with an opposite direction to that of complexes 14, display less stable nematic mesophases. 

The introduction of a second chiral atom in the system leads to a reduction in the mesogenic properties and only a monotropic chiral nematic transition is observed for compound 23. However, when this compound is cooled down from the isotropic liquid state at a cooling rate of 0.5 °Cmin , very unusual blue phases BP-III, BL-II and BP-I are observed in the range 103-88 °C. Blue phases usually require pitch values below 500 nm. Hence the pitch value of the cholesteric phase for 23 must be very short, suggesting that the packing of two chiral carbons forces a faster helical shift for successive molecules packed along the perpendicular to the director. 

As indicated above in chiral mesophases, the introduction of a functional group in mesogenic stmctures offers the opportunity to achieve functional LCs. With this aim, mesomorphic crown-ether-isocyanide-gold(I) complexes (26) have been prepared recently [38]. The derivatives with one alkoxy chain show monotropic SmC mesophases at or close to room temperature. In contrast, the complexes with three alkoxy chains behave as monotropic (n = 4) or enantiotropic (n > 4) LCs. The structure of the mesophases could not be fully eluddated because X-ray diffraction studies in the mesophase were unsuccessful and mesophase characterization was made only on the basis of polarized optical microscopy. These complexes are luminescent not only in the solid state and in solution, but also in the mesophase and in the isotropic liquid state at moderate temperatures. The emission spectra of 26a with n=12 were... 

The simple gold 3-alkylpyrazol complex (31) has been reported showing a monotropic SmA mesophase in the range of 65-52 °C and luminescence in the solid state [60]. 

The liquid crystal properties of the complexes were characterised using polarised optical microscopy and showed a nematic phase for n = 4 and 6 and a SmA phase for n = 6, 8, 10 and 12. The mesophases were monotropic for n = 4 and 6 and enantiotropic for the others the progression from a nematic phase for shorter chain lengths to SmA at longer chain lengths is quite typical for simple, polar mesogens. 

The complexes studied had n = 8,10 and 12 and m = 2 and 3. With the exception of the complex with n = 10 and m = 3, all complexes showed a nematic phase which, in all cases, was monotropic. Thus, melting points were in the range 95 to 108 °C, with clearing points between 90 and 104 °C. 

Examination of the thermal behaviour showed that with three exceptions, all complexes showed a monotropic SmA phase with in almost all cases, melting being observed between 88 and 99 °C, with clearing between 82 and 89 °C. Of the three exceptions, 15-6,8 and 15-8,10 showed no liquid crystal phase at all, while 15-12,6 showed an additional monotropic nematic phase. A curious feature of these complexes is the apparent insensitivity of the melting and clearing points to both n and m. 

Polymers formed between a and c, d and e all failed to show any liquid-crystalline behaviour. However, for all a examined (m = 2,4,6 and 8), nematic phases were observed with b-4 (all monotropic) - a further monotropic nematic material was the copolymer of a-6 and b-3. Unidentified crystal smectic mesophases were reported for a further three examples. 

If a modification is unstable at every temperature and every pressure, then its conversion into another modification is irreversible such phase transitions are called monotropic. Enantiotropic phase transitions are reversible they proceed under equilibrium conditions (AG = 0). The following considerations are valid for enantiotropic phase transitions that are induced by a variation of temperature or pressure. 

Fig. 7 Dependence of vapor pressure and solubility for an enantiotropic pair (I/II), a monotropic pair (I/III), and an amorphous compound (a).

A different situation exists if the compound exists as form I and form III. This is referred to as a monotropic system, and here III is unstable relative to I over the whole solid range. In this case, however, the melting point of the unstable polymorph is lower than that of the stable (Tis lower than T ). 

The square-planar complex (383) shows a monotropic smectic A-phase, and the X-ray diffraction study of the yellow form shows that the whole molecule adopts an extended rod-like shape with an all-trans conformation of the decycloxy chain.616... 

The existence of two polymorphs was reported for a NO-releasing derivative of acetyl-salicylic acid [28]. Selection crystallization of one form or the other was achieved from a number of solvent systems (14 solvents and 3 preparative methods), but several systems were identified that yielded mixtures of the two forms. The single-crystal structure of Form I was reported, but the habit of the Form II crystals precluded their characterization. The transition point of the two forms was calculated from intrinsic dissolution data to be higher than the melting points of both polymorphs and thus the two forms bear a monotropic relationship. 

Apart from the parent compound 1 and its very simple alkyl derivatives, 1,3,4-oxadiazoles are solids. Solid oxadiazoles containing biphenyl or triphenyl substituents exhibit interesting properties upon heating. The symmetric 2,5-bisbiphenyl-4-yl-l,3,4-oxadiazole 38 melts into an isotropic phase showing small monotropic mesophase. By contrast, the asymmetric (hockey stick-shaped) mesogen 2-terphenyl-4-yl-5-phenyl-l,3,4-oxadiazole 39 exhibits a more stable enantiotropic liquid crystalline phase (a smectic phase as well as a nematic phase) <2001PCB8845>. 

In the case of DuP747 [24], XRD, DSC, and thermomicroscopic studies determined the polymorphic system to be monotropic. Distinct diffuse reflectance IR, Raman, and solid state 13C NMR spectra existed for each physical form. The complementary nature of IR and Raman gave evidence that the polymorphic pair were roughly equivalent in conformation. It was concluded that the polymorphic character of DuP 747 resulted from different modes of packing. Further crystallographic information is required in order to determine the crystal packing and molecular confirmation of this polymorphic system. 

Based on the reversibility of their phase transformation behavior, polymorphs can easily be classified as being either enantiotropic (interchange reversibly with temperature) or monotropic (irreversible phase transformation). Enantiotropic polymorphs are each characterized by phase stability over well-defined temperature ranges. In the monotropic system, one polymorph will be stable at all temperatures, and the other is only metastable. Ostwald formulated the rule of successive reactions, which states that the phase that will crystallize out of a melt will be the state that can be reached with the minimum loss of free... 

Differential thermal analysis proved to be a powerful tool in the study of compound polymorphism, and in the characterization of solvate species of drug compounds. In addition, it can be used to deduce the ability of polymorphs to thermally interconvert, thus establishing the system to be monotropic or enantiotropic in nature. For instance, form I of chloroquine diphosphate melts at 216°C, while form II melts at 196°C [18]. The DTA thermogram of form I consists of a simple endotherm, while the thermogram of form II is complicated (see Fig. 4). The first endotherm at 196°C is associated with the melting of form II, but this is immediately followed by an exotherm corresponding to the crystallization of form I. This species is then observed to melt at 216°C, establishing it as the thermodynamically more stable form at the elevated temperature. 

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