Induction of mesophases through the complexation between benzoic acids with lateral groups and polyamides containing a 2,6-diaminopyridine moiety

Supramolecular liquid crystalline polymeric complexes have been prepared by the complexation of 4-alkyloxybenzoic acid derivatives and polyamides cont aining a 2,6-diaminopyridine moiety. 4-Alkyloxybenzoic acids substituted by methoxy, methyl, and nitro groups at the 3-position are used for the compl exation. These polymeric complexes behave as single component liquid crysta lline polymers and exhibit stable and enantiotropic mesophases. In contrast , simple 4-alkyloxybenzoic acids having no substituent at the 3-position, d o not form stable complexes with the polymers. For low molecular mass compl exes derived from 2,6-bis(acylamino) pyridine and 4-alkyloxybenzoic acid de rivatives, substituent effects are different from those for the polymeric s ystem. In these cases, mesomorphic behaviour is observed only for the compl exes based on the simple 4-alkyloxybenzoic acid and 4-alkyloxy-3-methylbenz oic acid.