Synthesis of a series of triple-bridged cyclotriphosphazene hexa-alkoxy derivatives and investigation of their structural and mesomorphic properties

Triple diamino-bridged cyclotriphosphazene (1) was reacted in a 1:8 stoichiometry with the sodium derivatives of long-chain diols [1-octanol, 1-decanol, 1-dodecanol, 1-hexadecanol] tetrahydrofuran (THF) at room temperature to form hexa-substituted cyclotriphosphazene derivatives (2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively), whose mesomorphic behaviours were investigated for their possible applications as liquid crystals. The cylindrical-type cyclotriphosphazene derivatives (2-5) were characterised by mass and elemental analyses and by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), H-1 and P-31 {H-1} NMR spectroscopies. The thermal and mesomorphic properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and by polarising optical microscopy, respectively. It was found that liquid crystal materials could be obtained from compounds 3 and 4 with alkoxy chains rather than using aromatic ring(s) as mesogens as published previously.