Fluorocarbon and hydrocarbon N-heterocyclic (C5-C7) imidazole-based liquid crystals

By using three synthetic protocols, a series of fluorocarbon and hydrocarbon N-heterocyclic imidazole-based liquid crystals (LCs) and related imidazolium-based ionic liquid crystals (ILCs) have been prepared. The ring size of the N-heterocycle and the length of the N-terminal chain (on the imidazolium unit in the ILCs) were modified, and the influence of these structural parameters on liquid-crystal phases was investigated by means of polarizing optical microscopy (POM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). These new ILCs exhibit a disordered smectic phase (SmA), good thermal stabilities, a broad smectic phase range, a high dipole moment, relatively low melting points, but high clearing points and strong emission fluorescence relative to imidazole-based LCs. These encouraging results have led us to believe these fluorocarbon and hydrocarbon N-heterocyclic imidazole-based LCs and related imidazolium-based ILCs could be used as new liquid-crystalline materials.