Liquid crystalline molecules with hydrogen-bonding networks in the direction of molecular short axes

摘要

The salts of 4-alkoxy-3,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)benzoic acids and alkylamine give stable smectic liquid crystals in a wide temperature range. These smectic phases were investigated by polarised optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and powder X-ray diffraction. An inter-digitated structure of the plough-shaped network created by the inter-molecular hydrogen bonding between the hydroxymethyl groups in the direction of the molecular short axis is proposed.