Visible Light Responsive DNA Thermotropic Liquid Crystals Based on a Photothermal Effect of Gold Nanoparticles

Solvent free DNA-surfactant melts are receiving continuous attractions in recent years.Their physical properties could be regulated via changing the alkyl chain length of surfactants.As an ideal external stimulus,light has been used in the regulation of mechanical properties of DNA thermotropic liquid crystal(TLC)containing an azobenzene motif,while in this case,the UV light is the only effective excitation source.However,in comparison with visible light,UV light causes damage to DNA and has low tissue-penetration efficiency problem.In this work,a new type of DNA-didodecyldimethylammonium bromide(DNA-DDAB)TLCs fabricating with gold nanoparticles(AuNPs)was demonstrated.The visible light-induced photothermal effect of AuNPs could change the mechanical properties of AuNPs/DNA-DDAB TLCs,as shown by clearly boundary motion activity and viscoelasticity change.Furthermore,the ratio of AuNPs and charge stoichiometry of DNA:DDAB also affected photocurrent generation property of these DNA melts.The development of this visible light responsive DNA melt might facilitate the related studies in biomedicine and biomaterials.

EVIDENCE FOR THERMOTROPIC LIQUID CRYSTALLINITY OF A FUSIBLE POLYDIACETYLENE

The thermotropic liquid crystalline behavior of a fusible polydiacetylene has been studied by using polarizing optical microscopy and wide angle X-ray diffraction. It was found that the typical threaded texture can exhibit in the melt and the banded texture can be observed when applied a gentle shear to the melt. The results indicate that this polydiacetylene is really a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer.

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SOME THERMOTROPIC LIQUID CRYSTALLINE POLYAMIDES

A series of novel mesogenic polyamides containing a flexible pendent side group was synthesized by solution condensation polymerization. The new monomers, diacids and diamines containing flexible elements of different lengths, were also synthesized and characterized by H-1 NMR, mass spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The polymers were characterized by viscosity measurements, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction and polarizing optical microscopy. These studies revealed that polyamides containing flexible elements of a sufficient length exhibited thermotropic liquid crystalline (LC) properties. The melting temperatures of this series of polymers were: particularly sensitive to the length of the flexible segment on the main chain and that of the flexible pendent ester side chain. Lyotropic LC behaviours were also observed in solution.

THERMAL DEGRADATION OF THERMOTROPIC LIQUID CRYSTALLINE TERPOLYESTERS BASED ON VANILLIC ACID, p-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID AND POLY(ETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE )

Nine thermotropic liquid crystalline terpolyesters based on vaniUic acid(V), p-hydroxybenzoic acid(H) and poly(ethylene terephthalate)(E) were investigated by thermogravimetry to ascertain their thermostability and the kinetic parameters for thermal degradation. Overall activation energy data of the degradation had been calculated over the range 5 ～ 70% weight loss. The temperatures and the activation energy of the degradation lie in the ranges of 384 ～ 394 ℃ at a heating rate of 1℃/min and 176 ～ 205 KJ/mol at the weight loss of 5%, respectively, which suggests that the terpolyesters have good thermostability.

PRIMARY STUDY ON BLENDS BASED ON THERMOTROPIC LIQUID CRYSTAL COPOLYESTER AND PET

The blend system composed of PET and thermotropic liquid crystal copolyester based on hydroxy benzoic acid, terephthalic acid, diacetylnaphthalene and PET was studied. The results indicated that LCP could play the role of crystal nuclei. The introduction of LCP decreased the melt viscosity of the system and fibrillous structure could be formed in favor conditions.

CRYSTALLIZATION BEHAVIOR OF A THERMOTROPIC LIQUID CRYSTAL COPOLYESTER

A thermotropic liquid crystal copolyester resin based on p-hydroxybenzoic acid, 2, 6-naphthoic acid, hydroxyquinone and PET was synthesized by melt condensation and studied. The results based on DSC and X-ray diffraction indicated that there were a rapid and a slow crystallization processes for the copolyester at certain conditions. A critical temperature was suggested, below which the slow crystallization could hardly happen. Above the critical temperature the extent of the slow crystallization process depended not only on annealing temperature but also on the annealing time. A fine crystal structure with high melting point and narrow diffraction peak was formed under favorable conditions.

LYOTROPIC AND THERMOTROPIC LIQUID CRYSTALL INE TRIALKYL CELLULOSES OBTAINED DIRECTLY FROM CELLULOSE ACETATE IN DIMETHYL SULFOXIDE

Highly substituted n-atkyl celluloses with sidechains 3 to 10 carbon atoms long have been prepared from cellulose acetate, sodium hydroxide and n-alkyl bromides with dimethyl sulfoxide as solvent. Synthetic conditions of n-alkyl celluloses were studied with respect to reaction temperature, time and yield. The molecular structure of the n-alkyl celluloses, which were obtained as white powders or as sticky, soft and birefringent solids at room temperature, was investigated by IR and NMR spectra and elemental analysis. The highly substituted n-alkyl celluloses all exhibited both therotropic and lyotropic liquid crystalline cholesteric phases in some non-polar solvents. The metting behavior and solubility of the n-alkyl celluloses were examined.

Odd-even Effect on Liquid Crystalline Behavior for C_3-Cyclotriveratrylene(CTV) Derivatives Containing Alkoxies with Different Lengths as Peripheral Groups

A series of bowlic cyclotriveratrylenes（CTV） with peripheral groups with different lengths were synthesized.These compounds were investigated by diferential scanning calorimetry and hot stage coupled polarizing microscopy.Several CTV derivatives show thermotropic liquid crystalline properties.The experimental results of their thermotropic liquid crystalline behavior indicate that the clear points,the entropy changes of melting points,the crystallization temperatures,and their entropy changes all exhibited an evident odd-even effect except the melting points,which decreased monotonously with the increase of the length of the alkoxy groups.The parameter values of CTVs with even number carbon atoms were larger than those of CTVs with odd number.When the length of alkoxyl chains was even longer,a monotonous decrease occured.Nevertheless,in the case of the entropy changes of both melting points and crystallization temperatures,the effect was valid for all the six species,and therefore,the whole curves presented as a zig-zag form.

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AROMATIC LIQUID CRYSTALLINE COPOLYESTERS WITH REGULAR SEQUENCE STRUCTURE

Several novel aromatic liquid crystalline copolyesters with regular sequence structure were prepared by melt Sehotten-Baumann polycondensation via complex monomer. Polarizing microscope with hot stage, thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction were used to investigate the structure and properties of the copolyesters. The effects of structural units, such as flexible spacer, noncolinear meta-linked phenylene unit, crankshaft unit, kink with flexible bridging unit and various substituted benzene rings on melting temperature of aromatic copolyesters were studied and discussed on the basis of crystalline structure of the polymers.

STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF TLCP ON PYROLYSIS OF PET AND ITS RETARDANT MECHANISM

The flame retardancy of aromatic thermotropic liquid crystal phosphorus-containing copolyester,TLCP,on PET was investigated.The results show that the presence of TLCP promotes char formation of the substrate and enhances thermal stability of char,hence delay its decomposition.SEM pictures show that the char formed from PET/TLCP is more compact, therefore is more resistant to fire and heat than that from pure PET.Evolved gas analysis by I.R measurements indicates that TLCP would decompose to produce phosphor...

Novel redox-active ionic thermotropic liquid crystalline complexes of polyelectrolyte and ferrocenyl surfactants

Redox-active polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes（PSC） were prepared via the ionic self-assembly of sodium poly（styrenesulfonate） （PSS） and ferrocenyl surfactant,（11-ferrocenylundecyl）trimethylammonium bromide（FTMA） in aqueous solution. The PSS-FTMA complex exhibited an ordered interdigitated monolayer mesomorphous structure with the long period of d = 3.13 nm,and was in the ionic thermotropic liquid crystal SmA state at room temperature.Interestingly,in the solid complex, the ferrocenyl moieties formed H-aggregation showing an increase in theπ-π~＊ energy transfer of cyclopentadienes in the ferrocene moieties as known from the blue-shift in the UV spectrum.The complexes showed higher thermal stability compared with their components due to the ionic interaction.The PSS-FTMA film had a good redox reversibility,which promised to be used in electrochemical sensors.

Mesomorphous structure change by tail chain number in ionic liquid crystalline complexes of linear polymer and amphiphiles

Three polymer-amphiphile complexes were prepared by combining poly（allylamine hydrochloride）（PAH） with the potassium salt of mono-,di-,and trisubstituted benzoic acid dendrons（4-octyloxybenzoic acid,3,5-dioctyloxybenzoic acid,and 3,4,5- trioctyloxybenzoic acid）.The solid structure and properties were monitored with FT-IR,XRD,TG,DSC,and polarized optical microscope（POM）.Difference in the tail chain number of the dendritic amphiphile induced two different mesomorphous structures： lamella for the mono-,disubstituted dendron containing complexes and hexagonal column for the trisubstituted dendron containing complexes.These corresponded to the ionic thermotropic liquid crystal SmA andΦ_h phases,respectively.This finding is significant for design of functional nanostructures based on the ionic complexation of polymers and amphiphiles.

Unleashing the Power of Bio-based Thermotropic Liquid Crystal Modifiers:Toughening and Reinforcing Petroleum-based Epoxy Resin without Compromising Other Properties

Toughening the petroleum-based epoxy resin blends with bio-based modifiers without compromising their modulus,mechanical strength,and other properties is still a big challenge in view of the sustainability.In this study,a bio-based liquid crystal epoxy resin(THMT-E P)with an s-triazine ring structure was utilized to modify a petroleum-based bisphenol A epoxy resin(E51)with 4,4'-diaminodiphenylsulfone(DDS)as a curing agent,and the blended systems were evaluated for their thermal stability,mechanical properties,and flame retardancy.The results showed that the impact strength of the blended system initially increased and then decreased with the increase in THMT-EP content,and it reached the a maximum value of 26.5 kJ/m^(2)when the THMT-EP content was 5%,which was 31.2%higher than that of E51/DDS.Notably,the flexural strength,modulus,and glass transition tem perature of the blended system were all simultaneously improved with the addition of THMT-EP.At the same time,the addition of THMT-EP enhanced the flame retardancy of the system by increasing the char yield at 700℃and decreasing the peak heat release rate and total heat release rate.This work paves the way for a more sustainable improvement in the comprehensive performance of epoxy resin.

Synthesis of Schiff Base-type Liquid Crystalline Crown Ethers Containing Dibenzo-18-Crown-6 Unit

The synthesis and characterization of novel Schiff base liquid crystalline crown ethers prepared from the inter-mediates 4-(4-alkoxylbiphenyl-4-carbonyl)benzaldehyde, cis- and trans-4,4-diaminodibenzo-18-crown-6 are de-scribed. The structure of these compounds have been well characterized by elemental analysis, IR, 1H NMR and MS spectroscopy. The liquid-crystalline behavior of these compounds was also inverstigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarizing optical microscopy (POM) with a heating stage and polarimetric analysis.