Liquid crystals in the series of 2,4,6-tristyryl-1,3,5-triazines

Alkaline condensation reactions of 2,4,6-trimethyl-1,3,5-triazine (1) and substituted benzaldehydes (2a-n) yield 2,4,6-tristyryl-1,3,5-triazines (3a-n). A sufficient number and length of the alkoxy chains at the benzene rings provide liquid crystalline phases Col(hd). A special structure was found for compound 3i with 9 hexyloxy chains; it exists in the solid state in a helical columnar arrangement, which is transformed by heating to a hexagonal columnar mesophase. Irradiation of the mesophases of 3i-3m leads to partial cyclodimerization reactions, which cause different textures and lower the clearing points. The border line between the irradiated and the unirradiated zones is preserved in the solid and the liquid crystalline temperature range but also over a surprisingly long period in the molten state. A detailed study of this imaging technique was performed for the LC phase of 3i. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.