Phase Transitions of N-(4-methoxybenzylidene)-4-butylaniline (MBBA) Confined within Mesoporous Silica

Abstract

We have used differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to investigate the phase transition of a liquid crystal, N-(4-methoxybenzylidene)-4-butylaniline (MBBA), confined within porous silica materials with one- and three-dimensional pore architectures. Each phase-transition temperature of the confined MBBA linearly decreased with the inverse pore size compared with that of bulk MBBA. However, the degree of temperature shift varied owing to differences in the pore architectures. In addition, when MBBA was confined within one-dimensional pores, the thermal anomaly associated with the phase transition from the nematic phase to the isotropic liquid phase was not observed in the DSC measurements.

Electro‐Optical Properties of MBBA Liquid Crystal Surrounded by Acetonitrile Medium Enhanced under the Presence of Electric Field: An Ab Initio Study

“…These results (very weak terminal interaction as compared to stacking energy) vividly elucidate the nematic behavior of the MBBA molecule. [ 24 ]…”

“…Many technical applications, such as electro-optic displays, have long taken use of the spontaneous molecular ordering that is the characteristic of liquid crystalline phases. [1,2] Liquid crystalline stability of an organic compound is principally determined by its molecular architecture, with even minor changes in molecular geometry resulting in significant changes in mesomorphic characteristics. [3] The creation and study of several LCs, particularly thermotropic LCs, have resulted from a high need for new liquid crystals for device development applications.…”

Liquid-liquid phase transition in confined liquid titanium

“…Phase transition [1][2][3][4] as a typical concept is necessary for the comprehensive understanding of the physical properties of materials. Usually, conventional phase transition is induced by temperature and pressure.…”

“…Phase transition and also the properties of materials in confined space have received significant attention. [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] Takehisa et al [4] proposed that the phase transition of confined materials may be different from the bulk one, which may have unprecedented potential in biological research, [19,20] electrochemical devices [14,21] and catalysts. [22,23] For example, some gas hydrates confined in porous nanomaterials have wide application prospects in energy storage and carbon sequestration.…”