Copper(II) pentacosadiynoate: a discotic mesogen with unusual liquid-crystalline and solid-state ultrastructures

Abstract

The novel polymerizable mesogen copper(II) pentacosa-10, 12-diynoate {i.e. tetrakis[µ-(pentacosa-10, 12-diynoato)-O,O′]dicopper(II)}(CuPCD) has been synthesized and its transitional properties investigated. This material was found to exhibit a mesophase which differed significantly from those formed by the analogous copper(II)n-alkanoate mesogens. An analysis, based on X-ray diffraction data, of the mesophase ultrastructure is presented. It was found that the mesophase could be processed into highly ordered fibres of good optical quality. X-Ray diffraction was used to probe the fibre ultrastructure and order. The fibres may be polymerized, at room temperature, by low-intensity UV radiation, with no detectable disruption to the ultrastructure.