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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Structures, properties and miscibility behaviour of liquid crystalline polycatenar tetrone derivatives

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Abstract The tetrones represent an interesting new mesogenic building block. The results of this study show that they can be incorporated into a variety of mesophases. A smectic phase was observed in the polycatenar compound with four terminal chains as expected. The phase exhibits a tilted structure (Sc phase) to prevent void formation. The compound with six pendant chains forms a columnar phase. In spite of their structural similarity, the tetrones studied tended not to be completely miscible. However, complete miscibility with a semi-discoid phenylhydrazone was observed. When this hydrazone, which forms a columnar ‘Dho phase’, was mixed with tetrone which forms a columnar ‘Dhd phase’ a columnar hexagonal phase was produced with enhanced stability. We believe that the stability enhancement derives from a charge transfer interaction between the tetrone and the phenylhydrazone.