10.1016/j.molstruc.2018.07.036
This research focused on the synthesis, characterization, crystal structure, and liquid crystal studies of symmetric naphthalene derivative molecules. The purpose was to investigate the mesomorphic properties of a series of symmetrical liquid crystals with a naphthalene core and long-chain flexible 4′-alkoxybenzoate moieties. The study aimed to understand the correlation between molecular structure and physical properties, particularly the effects of varying alkyl chain lengths on mesomorphic properties. The chemicals used in the synthesis included 2,6-dihydroxynaphthalene, 4-alkoxybenzoic acids, dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) as a coupling reagent, and dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) as a catalyst. The synthesized compounds exhibited stable enantiotropic mesophases of Smectic A (SmA) and Nematic (N) phases, with the appearance of these phases being independent of the alkyl chain length. The molecular structure was determined using single crystal X-ray diffraction, revealing a dihedral angle between the naphthalene ring system and the benzoate moiety. The study concluded that the synthesized naphthalene derivatives are predominantly smectogenic and partly nematogenic, with the mesomorphic range of the smectic phase being shorter than that of the nematic phase.