Materials 2010, 3(2), 827-840; doi:10.3390/ma3020827
Article

Probing the Texture of the Calamitic Liquid Crystalline Dimer of 4-(4-Pentenyloxy)benzoic Acid

Maher A. Qaddoura 1  and Kevin D. Belfield 1,2,* email
1 Department of Chemistry, University of Central Florida, P.O. Box 162366, Orlando, FL 32816- 2366, USA 2 CREOL, The College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida, P.O. Box 162366, Orlando, FL 32816-2366, USA
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 22 December 2009; in revised form: 20 January 2010 / Accepted: 21 January 2010 / Published: 29 January 2010
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Liquid Crystals)
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Abstract: The liquid crystalline dimer of 4-(4-pentenyloxy)benzoic acid, a member of the n-alkoxybenzoic acid homologous series, was synthesized using potassium carbonate supported on alumina as catalyst. The acid dimer complex exhibited three mesophases; identified as nematic, smectic X1 and smectic X2. Phase transition temperatures and the corresponding enthalpies were recorded using differential scanning calorimetry upon both heating and cooling. The mesophases were identified by detailed texture observations by variable temperature polarized light microscopy. The nematic phase was distinguished by a fluid Schlieren texture and defect points (four and two brushes) while the smectic phases were distinguished by rigid marble and mosaic textures, respectively.
Keywords: liquid crystalline texture; nematic phase; smectic phase

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MDPI and ACS Style

Qaddoura, M.A.; Belfield, K.D. Probing the Texture of the Calamitic Liquid Crystalline Dimer of 4-(4-Pentenyloxy)benzoic Acid. Materials 2010, 3, 827-840.

AMA Style

Qaddoura MA, Belfield KD. Probing the Texture of the Calamitic Liquid Crystalline Dimer of 4-(4-Pentenyloxy)benzoic Acid. Materials. 2010; 3(2):827-840.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Qaddoura, Maher A.; Belfield, Kevin D. 2010. "Probing the Texture of the Calamitic Liquid Crystalline Dimer of 4-(4-Pentenyloxy)benzoic Acid." Materials 3, no. 2: 827-840.

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