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Abstract:
Deuterium magnetic resonance measurements of four members of the homologous series p‐alkoxybenzylidene‐p‐alkylaniline (no⋅m), perdeuterated in their alkoxy chains, are reported. The compounds studied were 40⋅7, 50⋅7, 60⋅7, and 70⋅7. For 50⋅7 various isotopic species specifically deuterated in the alkoxy chains, as well as in the benzylidine moiety, were prepared and their DMR studied. These measurements allowed a complete assignment of the resonances from the alkoxy chain. The spectrum of all four compounds was studied over their whole mesomorphic regions. In most phases well resolved spectra were obtained yielding the various quadrupole splittings and in many cases also the dipolar interactions within the methylene and methyl groups. Using double quantum spectroscopy dipolar splitting between different methylene deuterons could also be resolved. The methylene quadrupolar splittings and the dipolar interaction within the methylene groups decrease along the chain towards the methyl end in a characteristic stepwise manner. This behavior is attributed to chain reorientational freedom and is quantitatively interpreted in terms of two structural factors: (i) Fast dynamical equilibrium between the all‐trans conformation of the alkoxy chains and chain conformations involving one or more kinks, and (ii) a molecular model in which the aliphatic chain axis is inclined with respect to the molecular long axis. The characteristic pattern of the splitting can then be reproduced by assuming a monotonically increasing kink probabilities along the chain towards its methyl end. This interpretation is used to estimate the kink probability distribution in the alkoxy chains in the various compounds and mesophases. No significant effect of the mesophase structure on the kink statistics was found.
