Synthesis and liquid-crystalline behaviour of tetrakis- and octakis(13,17-dioxa nonacosane-15-sulfanyl)phthalocyanines

Tetra- and octa(13, 17-dioxa nonacosane-15-sulfanyl) substituted metal free - and Ni(ll) phthalocyanines have been synthesized from the corresponding p hthalonitrile derivatives in the presence the anhydrous metal salt(NiCl2) o r a strong organic base. The new compounds have been characterised by eleme ntal analyses, IR, NMR and electronic spectroscopy and mass spectra. The me sogenic properties of these new materials were studied by differential scan ning calorimetry(DSC), optical microscopy and X-ray investigations. All com pounds show a discotic mesophase in an extremely large temperature interval including room temperature. X-ray diffraction patterns of the mesophases c onfirm that tetra-substituted compounds(5a, 5b) form a hexagonal ordered co lumnar mesophases(D-ho), whereas octa-substituted compounds(7a, 7b) lend to centered rectangular disordered columnar mesophases(D-rd).