Novel ionic liquid-crystalline compounds bearing oxadiazole and pyridinium moieties as prospective materials for optoelectronic applications

Novel liquid-crystal materials based on 1-alkyl-4-[5-(dodecylsulfanyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl]pyridinium bromide derivatives were synthesized. Their thermotropic polymorphism was investigated by polarizing optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The structures of their crystalline and smectic A phases were investigated by X-ray diffraction. The existence of thermochromic properties in the smectic phase as well as their UV-visible and fluorescence properties were also studied. The chemical structure of the compounds renders these materials suitable for optoelectronic applications.