X-ray diffraction study of thermotropic liquid crystalline polyesters and diester model compounds

Two nematic liquid crystalline polyesters were examined by X-ray diffraction following quenching from the nematic temperature in a magnetic field of 15 tesla. It was not possible to quench an aligned nematic glass; instead a polycrystalline phase showing some preferred orientation or an unoriented nematic melt yielded monodomain nematic diffraction patterns with one resembling that of a fiber (crystalline) photograph while the other showed good nematic alignment which could be enhanced slightly by annealing. A series of Siamese-twin diester model compounds also examined at their respective nematic temperatures in a magnetic field of compounds also were examined at their crystalline phase at room temperature. All displayed well-aligned nematic monodomains above the crystallization point.