Abstract:
To date conjugated ethynylated aromatic Schiff-Base systems are largely
unexplored although the combination of two such well-known n-systems promises
a wide range of electronic properties ranging from efficient electronic transmission
to luminescent behaviour. The rigid linear nature of each group has led to the
development of systems which exhibit liquid crystalline (LC) properties, and the
combination of these motifs should be expected to lead to new materials with LC
phases. This thesis describes the synthesis, molecular and electronic structure, as
well as liquid crystalline behaviour, of a novel family of compounds featuring both
acetylenic and imine (or Schiff-Base) functionalities.