Kc. Singh et Pc. Jain, STUDY OF MOLECULAR MOTIONS IN ALKYL CYANOBIPHENYLS USING POSITRON LIFETIME SPECTROSCOPY, Structural chemistry, 7(3), 1996, pp. 215-223
Positron lifetime measurements have been carried out in two liquid-cry
stal-forming homologues of alkyl cyanobiphenyls, 7CB and 10CB. In each
of these two compounds measurements were performed during the heating
cycle of samples prepared either by quenching or by slow cooling from
the respective liquid crystalline phase. In both compounds, the behav
ior of quenched and slow-cooled samples is found to be different. Unli
ke the slow-cooled sample, the material in the quenched sample seems t
o have transformed into a glassy solid. The o-Ps pick-off lifetime in
the quenched sample exhibits a strong temperature dependence. In each
case, its value exhibits six broad peaks at various characteristic tem
peratures which have been ascribed to various motions associated with
the molecules of these compounds. The quenched samples of 7CB and 10CB
exhibit glass transitions at similar to 268 and similar to 266 K, res
pectively. The present work demonstrates an interesting application of
positron lifetime spectroscopy (PLS).