Synthesis and Determination of Thermotropic Liquid Crystalline Behavior of Cinnamaldehyde-Based Molecules with Two Schiff Base Linking Units

A series of liquid crystal molecules with two Schiff base linking units and a cinnamaldehyde core with different terminal groups were synthesized and characterized. The intermediates of 4-heptyloxybenzaldehyde (1a) and 4-dodeyloxybenzaldehyde (1b) were synthesized through the alkylation of 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde with a series of bromoalkane. A condensation reaction of cinnamaldehyde, 1,4-phenylenediamine and a series of substituted benzaldehydes with different terminal groups such as bromo, chloro, hydroxy, cinnamaldehyde, hydrogen, methoxy, heptyloxy and dodecyloxy produced a series of new cinnamaldehyde-based compounds, 2–9, respectively. All these compounds were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and CHN elemental analysis. The liquid crystal properties of these compounds were determined using polarized optical microscopy (POM), and their transitions were further confirmed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Compounds with chloro, bromo, methoxy, heptyloxy, and dodecyloxy substituents are mesogenic compounds with nematic phase behavior. However, the other compounds were found to be non-mesogenic without any mesophase transitions. The structure–property relationship was investigated in order to study the effect of different terminal groups and Schiff base linking units on the liquid crystalline behavior of these compounds.