Liquid-crystalline phase transition in organophosphazenes

Organophosphazenes with a similar mesogenic moiety were prepared and their mesogenicity was studied by differential scanning calorinetry (DSC) measurements and polarizing microsope observations. In cyclotriphosphazenes with alk-­oxybiphenyl and Schiff base moieties, mesomorphic phase transitions were observed, but no mesomorphic phase was observed for the corresponding cyclotetraphosphazenes. In polyphos-­phazenes with an alkoxybiphenyl moiety, no mesomorphic phase was observed. The molecular structure of cyclotriphosphazenes facilitated the formation of a mesomorphic layer structure; in contrast, the formation of a mesomorphic layer structure did not occur in cyclotetraphosphazenes and polyphosphazenes, even though they bore a similar mesogenic moiety. Moreover, in cyclotriphosphazenes with an optically active alkoxybiphenyl group, a smectic C* phase was observed. The spontaneous polarization of the compound was −190 μ C m−2 at 436 K in 25 μ in cell using the triangular-wave method.