The product was then recrystallized from methanol. Yield: 46%.
IR (KBr) n/cmꢀ1: 3226 (OH), 2929–2851 (C–H alkyl), 1633 (C]
O), 1616 (C]C), 1241 (C–O). 1H-NMR (CDCl3) d/ppm: 10.8 (s,
1H, OH), 8.33 (s, 1H, Ar–H), 7.98 (d, 1H, J ¼ 8.8 Hz, Ar–H),
7.49 (d, 2H, J ¼ 8.8 Hz, Ar–H), 6.98–6.95 (m, 3H, Ar–H), 6.87
(d, 1H, J ¼ 2.2 Hz, Ar–H), 3.98 (t, 2H, OCH2), 1.75–1.68 (m, 2H,
OCH2CH2), 1.41–1.26 (m, 14H, alkyl-H), 0.86 (t, 3H, CH3).
Syntheses of 7-(n-bromoalkyloxy)-3-(40-decyloxyphenyl)-4H-1-
benzopyran-4-ones, 3–12.
A reaction mixture containing
compound 2 (2.00 g, 5.08 mmol) in acetone (50 ml), respective
dibromoalkanes (5 equiv.), and potassium carbonate anhydrous
(2.76 g, 0.02 mol) was refluxed for 6 h. The reaction mixture was
then cooled to room temperature and the solvent was removed
via evaporation. Subsequently, water (50 ml) was added and the
resulting precipitate filtered and dried. The crude product was
recrystallized from chloroform and ethanol mixture (1 : 1, v/v). 3
Yield: 80%. IR (KBr) n/cmꢀ1: 2917–2851 (C–H alkyl), 1634 (C]
O), 1604 (C]C), 1250 (C–O). 1H-NMR (CDCl3) d/ppm: 8.22 (d,
1H, J ¼ 9 Hz, Ar–H), 7.93 (s, 1H, Ar–H), 7.49 (d, 2H, J ¼ 9 Hz,
Ar–H), 7.01–6.95 (m, 3H, Ar–H), 6.88 (d, 1H, J ¼ 2.3 Hz, Ar–H),
4.22 (t, 2H, OCH2), 3.99 (t, 2H, OCH2), 3.64 (t, 2H, BrCH2),
2.41–2.37 (m, 2H, OCH2CH2), 1.82–1.77 (m, 2H, OCH2CH2),
1.48–1.27 (m, 14H, alkyl-H), 0.89 (t, 3H, CH3).
Syntheses of 1,3-bis{[3-(40-decyloxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-
4-one-7-oxy]alkyloxy}benzenes, RS-n-I. Resorcinol (0.10 g, 0.91
mmol) and 1.8 equivalents of the corresponding intermediate 3–
12 were dissolved in acetone. Three equivalents of potassium
carbonate anhydrous together with a catalytic amount of
potassium iodide were then added to the solution. The reaction
mixture was refluxed for 12 h. The reaction mixture was cooled to
room temperature and excess solvent was removed via evapo-
ration. Water was then added to the mixture and the resulting
precipitate filtered, washed using acetone and recrystallized from
a chloroform and ethanol mixture (1 : 1, v/v). RS-3-I Yield: 62%.
Elemental analysis: found, C 76.15, H 7.68%; calculated
(C62H74O10), C 76.04, H 7.62%. IR (KBr) n/cmꢀ1: 2921–2852
(C–H alkyl), 1636 (C]O benzopyran), 1605 (C]C), 1288, 1249
Scheme 1 Syntheses of intermediates 1–12 and compounds of series RS-
n-I. Reactions and reagents: (a) KOH (2 equiv.), 1-bromodecane (1.2
equiv.), refluxing in methanol, 18 h, yield: 72%; (b) resorcinol (1.1 equiv.)
in BF3/Et2O, N2, 70–75 ꢁC, 4 h; DMF, 50 ꢁC, 1 h, then in MeSO2Cl (3
equiv.), 75–80 ꢁC, 1.5 h, yield: 46%; (c) dibromoalkane, BrCnH2nBr (5
equiv.) (n ¼ 3–12), K2CO3 (4 equiv.), refluxing in acetone, 6 h, yield: 70–
80%; (d) resorcinol (0.56 equiv.), K2CO3 (3 equiv.), KI, refluxing in
acetone, 12 h, yield: 56–70%.
into a cold solution containing 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid
(10.00 g, 0.07 mol) in 25.0 ml of methanol. The ice bath was then
removed and 1-bromodecane (17.40 g, 0.08 mol) was added and
the reaction mixture was heated under reflux for 18 h. The
solvent was subsequently removed and the mixture was
neutralized with 10% of aqueous hydrochloric acid. The solid
was filtered off, washed thoroughly with water and recrystallized
from methanol. Yield: 75%. IR (KBr) n/cmꢀ1: 2932–2851 (C–H
1
(C–O). H-NMR (CDCl3) d/ppm, 8.22 (d, 2H, J ¼ 8.9 Hz, Ar–
H), 7.93 (s, 2H, Ar–H), 7.50 (d, 4H, J ¼ 8.7 Hz, Ar–H), 7.20 (t,
1H, Ar–H), 7.01 (d, 4H, J ¼ 2.3 Hz, Ar–H), 6.97 (dd, 2H, Ar–H),
6.88 (d, 2H, J ¼ 2.3 Hz, Ar–H), 6.56 (dd, 2H, Ar–H), 6.53 (t, 1H,
Ar–H), 4.28 (t, 4H, OCH2), 4.19 (t, 4H, OCH2), 4.00 (t, 4H,
OCH2), 2.36–2.30 (m, 4H, OCH2CH2), 1.85–1.74 (m, 4H,
OCH2CH2), 1.51–1.30 (m, 28H, alkyl-H), 0.91 (t, 6H, CH3). 13C-
NMR (CDCl3) d/ppm, 175.80 (C]O), 163.35, 160.14, 159.13,
157.97, 152.07, 130.12, 129.95, 127.77, 124.85, 123.88, 118.34,
114.56, 114.34, 106.67, 101.55, 100.65 (Carom), 68.23, 68.07, 67.44
(OCH2), 31.54, 29.43, 29.33, 29.21, 29.26, 26.04, 25.83, 25.81,
22.77 (CH2), 14.23 (CH3).
1
aliphatic), 1701 (C]O), 1617 (C]C), 1251 (C–O). H-NMR
(CDCl3) d/ppm: 12.23 (s, 1H, COOH), 7.15 (d, 2H, J ¼ 8.7 Hz,
Ar–H), 6.85 (d, 2H, J ¼ 8.7 Hz, Ar–H), 3.92 (t, 2H, OCH2), 3.47
(s, 2H, CH2), 1.72–1.65 (m, 2H, OCH2CH2), 1.41–1.26 (m, 14H,
alkyl-H), 0.86 (t, 3H, CH3).
Synthesis of 7-hydroxy-3-(40-decyloxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzo-
pyran-4-one, 2. A mixture containing 4-decyloxyphenylacetic
acid (12.00 g, 0.04 mol) and resorcinol (5.18 g, 0.05 mol) in 80 ml
BF3$Et2O was heated for 4 h at 70–75 ꢁC under nitrogen
atmosphere. The mixture was then cooled to room temperature
and dry DMF (20 ml) was added. The mixture was again heated
to 50 ꢁC for 1 h and a solution of methanesulfonyl chloride
(12 ml) in dry DMF (20 ml) was added slowly. After heating the
reaction mixture at 75–80 ꢁC for 1.5 h, it was poured into a rapid
stirring of ice-water bath upon which a solid was formed.
Results
The phase transition temperatures and associated enthalpies for
RS-n-I trimers, determined by DSC studies, are collected in
Table 1 and illustrated in Fig. 1. An archetypal behaviour of LC
dimers, the odd–even effect found in mesophase–isotropic tran-
sition temperatures was also observed for the trimeric
11336 | J. Mater. Chem., 2012, 22, 11335–11339
This journal is ª The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012