Synthesis of bifunctional disiloxanes via subsequent hydrosilylation of alkenes and alkynes

The first protocol for the synthesis of unsymmetrical bifunctional 1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane derivatives via subsequent hydrosilylation of alkenes and alkynes is presented. The methodology described has vast functional group tolerance and is extremely efficient towards the formation of novel disiloxane-based building blocks.

Pt(0)-Catalysed synthesis of new bifunctional silanes

We report herein very efficient syntheses of new functional silanes obtained via olefin hydrosilylation. New bifunctional compounds contain attractive functional groups such as epoxy, fluoroalkyl, trisilylamine, chloropropyl, and methacroiloxy which can play different roles in molecular systems. Moreover, the catalytic system proposed by us exhibits high selectivity and tolerance to a wide range of functional groups. It also permitted obtaining total conversions of the starting reagents in a relatively short time under mild conditions.

Bent-core dimers with top-to-bottom linkage between central units

A structurally new type of core-to-core dimer with a top-to-bottom linkage between the central cores of bent molecules is presented. The structure of the bent-core molecules was modified by changing the length of the spacer between the central cores and terminal chains, by changing the type of linkage groups in the bent-core arms and by variation of the terminal chain polarity - introducing polyfluoroalkyl and oligosiloxane units. Additionally, the outer phenyl ring was substituted with three alkyl chains to mimic a polycatenar system. For all compounds the mesophase behaviour and structural parameters were established to gain information about the molecular structure-mesomorphic property relationship.

Selective synthesis of E-vinylsilanes and E,E-divinylsilanes via platinum-catalyzed hydrosilylation of alkynes with secondary silanes

A platinum(0) complex bearing a bulky N-heterocyclic carbene ligand enables selective formation of β-E-isomers of mono- and dialkenylsubstituted silanes.

Core-to-core dimers forming switchable mesophase

We report structurally new type of dimers composed of bent-core molecules connected through their central cores by an alkylene spacer. Various self-assembling structures are discovered when prolonging the terminal alkyl chains in arms. Among diverse mesophases, the antiferroelectric type of switching under an applied electric field is observed.

W-shaped liquid crystalline dimers

We present a study of liquid crystalline bent-core dimers with a novel W-shaped molecular structure exhibiting broad polymorphism.

Dielectric and electro-optic studies of a bimesogenic liquid crystal composed of bent-core and calamitic units

A bimesogen, BR1, composed of a bent-core and calamitic unit, linked laterally via a flexible spacer is investigated by dielectric and electro-optic techniques. X-ray results show the presence of clusters in the nematic phase, and the cluster size is of the order of the thickness of a single layer. The splitting of the small-angle scattering Δχ/2 is about 50°, which indicates SmC like clusters with a significant tilt of the molecules in the quasilayers. The sign reversal of the dielectric anisotropy Δε' is observed as a function of frequency; the behavior is rather similar to that exhibited by the conventional dual frequency nematics, composed of a calamitic mesogen, with the exception that it occurs at much lower frequencies in this material. Interestingly, as the bimesogen enters its nematic phase, the average permittivity decreases as the temperature is lowered. This indicates the onset of antiparallel association of some of the dipoles in the system, and this type of association is much more prominent in BR1 in comparison to other bent-core liquid crystalline systems composed of the same bisbenzoate core unit. The analysis of the dielectric spectra using the Maier-Meier model confirms the onset of an antiparallel correlation of dipoles occurring at the isotropic to nematic phase transition temperature. Additionally these results support a model of the cluster where the transverse dipole moments in the neighboring layers are antiparalleled to each other.

Liquid-crystalline heterodimesogens and ABA-heterotrimesogens comprising a bent 3,5-diphenyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole central unit

Three new types of terminally connected ABA-heterotrimesogens and heterodimesogens, composed of a bent 3,5-diphenyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole central unit and one or two rod-shaped 4-cyanobiphenyl cores or one 2-phenyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole core, connected by flexible spacers, have been synthesized, and their mesomorphic behavior was studied by optical polarizing microscopy (PM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). All dimesogens exhibit broad ranges of cybotactic nematic phases (N(cybA) and N(cybC)), in some cases accompanied by additional mesophases (CybA or SmC) at lower temperature. The combination of the 3,5-diphenyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole unit with one cyanobiphenyl core leads to the removal of tilted smectic and cybotactic nematic phases (SmC, N(cybC)), which are replaced by the nontilted CybA phases and nematic phases composed of SmA-type clusters (N(cybA)). The orthogonal cybotactic nematic phases of bent-core mesogens are of special interest for achieving biaxial nematic phases of the orthorhombic type. The orthogonal (N(cybA)) and skewed (N(cybC)) cybotactic nematic phases were distinguished by XRD and optical observations.