Synthesis of Novel Organic and Organometallic Compounds Potentially Exhibiting Mesophases.

The authors have synthesized fourteen organmercury compounds, members of six chemical series, selected for their linearity, symmetry, and similarity to known mesophasogenic series. The effect on the types and thermal stability of the liquid-crystalline phases accompanying replacement of aryl rings by perfluoroaryl rings and inversion of group dipole moments is investigated. Perfluoroarylations effect on the melting point is discussed. Perfluoroarylation in only one ring decreases the melting point sharply but decreases the smectic thermal stability less, in contradiction to both generalizations. Two other series, containing one or two p-n-alkulaminoperfluorophenyl groups attached to mercury, exhibit no smectic phase and suggest that hydrogen bonding may be a significant factor. The sixth series comprising three new anils of p-n-alkoxyanilines with bis4-benzalmercury exhibit the same mesophases as the corresponding known anils of p-n-alkoxbenzaldehydes with bis4-aminophenylmercury, showing in this series the probable intramolecular independence of the azomethine from other dipoles.