Interaction potential in nematogenic 6CHBT

Exploring Crystal-Phase Molecular Dynamics of the Low-Viscous Mesogen 6CHBT: A Combined FFC and High-Field NMR Relaxometry Investigation

The molecular dynamics study of thermotropic mesogens exhibiting the crystal phases is valuable in unraveling the complex global (collective) and local (noncollective) motions executed by liquid crystal molecules, which would further advance the existing knowledge on orientationally disordered crystalline (ODIC) phases. Toward the fulfillment of such a task, a combined nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxometry approach employing the fast field cycling (FFC) NMR (10 kHz-30 MHz) and high-field pulsed NMR (400 MHz) techniques is utilized to sample the broad frequency range offered by molecular motions in the crystal phase of 4-(trans-4'-n-hexylcyclohexyl)-isothiocyanatobenzene (6CHBT). The validity of the observed relaxation data is tested and interpreted by the Bloembergen-Purcell-Pound (BPP) model involving the superposition of four mutually independent Lorentzian spectral densities, reflecting molecular dynamical processes on different time scales. The salient feature of the detailed analysis reveals that the lengthening of temporal dynamics in the crystal phase due to molecular rotations by jumps, which are of intermolecular origin, is evident and further supports the presence of collective-like local dynamics. The analysis does permit decoupling of the molecular reorientations about their short axes (∼100 ns) as well as long axes (∼50 ns) and methyl group rotations (∼0.5 ns) on distinct time scales. The activation energies for reorientations about the short axes and methyl group rotations are found to be 27.3 ± 2.7 and 15.8 ± 1.1 kJ/mol, respectively. The fast methyl rotations in the crystal phase of 6CHBT obtained from FFC NMR are further well complemented by high-field NMR, where 1H NMR line shapes are relatively narrow when compared to those of the nematic phase.

(13)C NMR investigations and the molecular order of 4-(trans-4'-hexylcyclohexyl)-isothiocyanatobenzene (6CHBT)

The static 1D (13)C and 2D Proton Encoded Local Field (PELF) NMR experiments are carried out in the nematic phase of a less viscous liquid crystal 4-(trans-4'-hexylcyclohexyl)-isothiocyanatobenzene (6CHBT) with a view to find orientational order. The PELF spectra provide better resolution which facilitates the assignment of cyclohexyl and phenyl ring carbons relatively easy. For the cyclohexyl unit, four pairs of dipolar splitting are clearly noticed in contrast to earlier reports on structurally similar mesogens where only two pairs of doublets are seen. The linear relationship between anisotropic chemical shifts and orientational order is established and semi-empirical parameters are obtained to aid the study of the order behaviour of 6CHBT over the entire nematic range. The data further fitted to the Haller equation and a reasonably good agreement is observed. The temperature dependence trends of orientational order parameters extracted for various carbons using (13)C-(1)H dipolar couplings with those of (13)C chemical shifts are compared. A gradual decrease in the order parameter is noticed for different molecular segments while traversing from the core to the aliphatic chain via the cyclohexyl ring. The notable decreasing trends of order parameters along the chain are observed similar to those of the corresponding phenyl cyclohexanes reported earlier.

Thermodynamic scaling of dynamic properties of liquid crystals: verifying the scaling parameters using a molecular model

The thermodynamic scaling of molecular dynamic properties of rotation and thermodynamic parameters in a nematic phase was investigated by a molecular dynamic simulation using the Gay-Berne potential. A master curve for the relaxation time of flip-flop motion was obtained using thermodynamic scaling, and the dynamic property could be solely expressed as a function of TV(γτ) , where T and V are the temperature and volume, respectively. The scaling parameter γτ was in excellent agreement with the thermodynamic parameter Γ, which is the logarithm of the slope of a line plotted for the temperature and volume at constant P2. This line was fairly linear, and as good as the line for p-azoxyanisole or using the highly ordered small cluster model. The equivalence relation between Γ and γ(τ) was compared with results obtained from the highly ordered small cluster model. The possibility of adapting the molecular model for the thermodynamic scaling of other dynamic rotational properties was also explored. The rotational diffusion constant and rotational viscosity coefficients, which were calculated using established theoretical and experimental expressions, were rescaled onto master curves with the same scaling parameters. The simulation illustrates the universal nature of the equivalence relation for liquid crystals.

Relationship between thermodynamic parameter and thermodynamic scaling parameter for orientational relaxation time for flip-flop motion of nematic liquid crystals

Thermodynamic parameter Γ and thermodynamic scaling parameter γ for low-frequency relaxation time, which characterize flip-flop motion in a nematic phase, were verified by molecular dynamics simulation with a simple potential based on the Maier-Saupe theory. The parameter Γ, which is the slope of the logarithm for temperature and volume, was evaluated under various conditions at a wide range of temperatures, pressures, and volumes. To simulate thermodynamic scaling so that experimental data at isobaric, isothermal, and isochoric conditions can be rescaled onto a master curve with the parameters for some liquid crystal (LC) compounds, the relaxation time was evaluated from the first-rank orientational correlation function in the simulations, and thermodynamic scaling was verified with the simple potential representing small clusters. A possibility of an equivalence relationship between Γ and γ determined from the relaxation time in the simulation was assessed with available data from the experiments and simulations. In addition, an argument was proposed for the discrepancy between Γ and γ for some LCs in experiments: the discrepancy arises from disagreement of the value of the order parameter P2 rather than the constancy of relaxation time τ1(*) on pressure.