COPPER(II) PENTACOSADIYNOATE - A DISCOTIC MESOGEN WITH UNUSUAL LIQUID-CRYSTALLINE AND SOLID-STATE ULTRASTRUCTURES

The novel polymerizable mesogen copper(II) pentacosa-10,12-diynoate {i.e. tetrakis[mu-(pentacosa-10,12-diynoato)-O,O']dicopper(II)} (CuPCD) has been synthesized and its transitional properties investigated. This material was found to exhibit a mesophase which differed significantly from those formed by the analogous copper(II) n-alkanoate mesogens. An analysis, based on X-ray diffraction data, of the mesophase ultrastructure is presented. It was found that the mesophase could be processed into highly ordered fibres of good optical quality. X-Ray diffraction was used to probe the fibre ultrastructure and order. The fibres may be polymerized, at room temperature, by low-intensity UV radiation, with no detectable disruption to the ultrastructure.