Unsymmetric 1,3,4-oxa(thia)diazoles of quinoxaline–naphthalene conjugates

Two new series of unsymmetric 1,3,4-oxa(thia)diazoles 1a,b containing both quinoxaline and naphthalene moieties were prepared and their mesomorphic properties were investigated. The mesomorphic behavior of compounds 1a,b and 2 was studied by DSC analysis and polarized optical microscopy. All compounds 1a and 2 exhibited hexagonal columnar phases (Colh), which were also confirmed by powder XRD diffractometer. Ncell and Rar values equal to 5.23 and 22.73 Å2 within a slice of 9.0 Å thick were also obtained for 1a (n=16), indicating that a more disc-like structure constructed by two molecules lying side-by-side was correlated in Colh phases. In contrast, all compounds 1b were not mesogenic, and the lack of mesomorphic properties in 1b might be due to their unfavorable conformations. The PL spectra of all compounds 1a,b showed one intense peak at λmax=509–512 nm, and these photoluminescent emissions originated from quinoxaline moiety.