Novel conjugated Schiff-Base compounds

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.