Preparation and Application of Cholesteryl‐Benzo‐15‐Crown‐5/Cholesteryl Mixed Liquid Crystals

Abstract

AbstractVarious mixed liquid crystals containing crown ether‐cholesteryl liquid crystal, benzo‐15‐crown‐5‐COO‐C27H45 (B15C5‐COOCh), with various common cholesteric liquid crystals, e.g., cholesteryl chloride, cholesteryl benzoate and cholesteryl palmitate, were prepared and studied using polarizing microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Investigating the concentration effect of B15C5‐COOCh in mixed liquid crystals revealed that the addition of B15C5‐COOCh resulted in wider phase transition temperature ranges of these cholesteryl liquid crystals. The stability of these B15C5‐COOCh/cholesteryl mixed liquid crystals was studied using comprehensive graphic molecular modeling computer programs (Insight II and Discover) to calculate their molecular energy and stability energy. The effect of salts, e.g. Na+, Co3+, Y3+ and La3+, on the transition temperature range of the mixed liquid crystals was also investigated. The crown ether cholesteric liquid crystal B15C5‐COOCh was applied both as a surfactant and an ion transport carrier to transport metal ions through liquid membranes. Cholesteryl benzo‐15‐crown‐5 exhibited distinctive characteristics of a surfactant and the critical micellar concentration (CMC) of the surfactant was investigated by the pyrene fluorescence probe method. Cholesteryl benzo‐15‐crown‐5 was successfully applied as a good ion transport carrier (Ionophore) to transport various metal ions, e.g. Li+, Na+, La3+, Fe3+ and Co3+, through organic liquid membranes. The transport ability of the cholesteryl benzo‐15‐crown‐5 surfactant for these metal ions was in the order: Co3+ ≥ Li+ > Fe3+ > Na+ > La3+.