Calorimetric study of the relationship between molecular structure and liquid crystallinity of rod-like mesogens II. Heat capacities and phase transitions of 4-(trans-4-propylcyclohexyl)benzonitrile

The molar heat capacity of the rod-like compound 4-(trans-4-propylcyclohexyl)benzonitrile (3-CBCN), purity of 99.8 mol%, has been measured with an adiabatic calorimeter at temperatures between 15 and 385 K. 3-CBCN is a nematogenic mesogen, whose melting and clearing points are 316.33 and 319.09 K, respectively. The enthalpy and entropy gained at fusion are 20.4 kJ mol(-1) and 64.4 J K-1 mol(-1), respectively; those for the nematic-to-isotropic transition are 1.1 kJ mol(-1) and 3.5 J K-1 mol(-1) respectively. 3-CBCN exhibits a supercooled nematic phase, whose molar heat capacities have been measured from 25 K below the melting point. The molar and transition entropies of 3-CBCN are discussed in relation to those of 4'-propylbiphenyl-4-carbonitrile (3-BBCN) and trans,trans-4'-propylbicyclohexyl-4-carbonitrile (3-CCCN). There seems to exist a correlation between these values and mesophase stability. Finally, Eidenschink's theoretical model for the nematic-to-isotropic transition has been applied to 3-CBCN; the transition enthalpy estimated according to this model agrees well with the observed value.