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The principal aim of this Thesis is the synthesis and characterisation of a range of novel liquid crystals designed to exhibit the twist-bend nematic phase (NTB), in order to enhance our understanding of the relationships between molecular structure and the observation of NTB behaviour. Moreover, the inclusion of chiral fragments allowed the effects of molecular chirality on the structure of the NTB phase, specifically the chiral twist-bend nematic phase, N*TB, to be studied. In Chapter 3, a series of non-symmetric odd-membered liquid crystal dimers are prepared and the terminal chain length m is varied. A change in the local molecular structure from intercalated to bilayer is seen on increasing m, but this has no apparent effect on the stability of both the nematic and twist-bend nematic phases, which show a regular dependence on m. A novel twist-bend smectic phase is reported. Chapter 4 investigates the effects of branching this terminal chain on phase behaviour. It is evident that in dimers with a shorter spacer, branching destabilises the N and NTB phases while stabilising smectic behaviour, but in longer homologues smectic behaviour is also destabilised. Chapter 5 explores the effect of molecular bulk on phase behaviour, specifically the stability of the NTB phase, by the incorporation of a pyrene moiety. This group supresses crystallisation such that stable, low temperature NTB phases are formed despite the bulky group. Chapters 6 and 7 study the inclusion of chiral moieties in bent-shaped, odd-membered dimers: specifically, 2-methylbutyl, 1-methylheptyl (6) and lactic esters (7). New examples of the rarely observed chiral twist-bend nematic phase are seen. Phase behaviour is investigated and compared to achiral and racemic analogues. Chapter 8 describes the mesogenic behaviour of molecular complexes assembled by hydrogen bonding between both achiral and chiral stilbazole-based and benzoic acid-based fragments. A selection of the complexes exhibit the N(*)TB phase despite only one or neither component being mesogenic.

Gang Zhao. / "June 1999." / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 147-153). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

The focus of this thesis is the interaction of electromagnetic fields with chiral structures in the microwave regime. Through this study, which focuses on three regimes of electromagnetic interactions, I aim to develop a deeper understanding of the consequences and manifestations of chiral interactions The structures are on the order of, or smaller than, the wavelength of the probing radiation. As the structures are chiral, they have broken inversion symmetry, and exist in two states where one is the mirror image of the other. The results in this thesis can have impacts on future optical communications technologies and methods of sensing biological molecules. To begin with, the manipulation of the circular polarisation of a propagating beam by bilayer chiral metasurfaces is investigated. The metasurfaces consist of two layers of stacked crosses with a twist between top and bottom layers, forming chiral metamolecules. A broad frequency region of dispersionless polarisation rotation appears between two resonances, due to alignment between electric and magnetic dipoles. The dependence of this effect on the layer separation is studied for two similar metasurfaces. Evanescent chiral electromagnetic fields are the focus of the next chapter. An array of chiral antennas produces chiral near-fields at their resonant frequency. Aligned and subwavelength helices placed within this field interact differently depending on the handedness of the field with respect to the handedness of the helices. This difference in interaction strength is measured for the helices and an effective medium model where multipolar interactions are forbidden. Comparison of these two systems leads to the conclusion that the contribution to a chiral interaction from multipolar modes is minimal, in contrast to previous publications. The third study concentrates on the electromagnetic wave bound to an "infinitely long" metal helix. The helix has infinite-fold screw symmetry, and this leads to interesting features in the energy-dispersion of the waves it supports. The broad frequency range of high, tunable, dispersionless index is interpreted using a geometrical approach, and the factors that limit the bandwidth explained. A modified geometry is suggested for increased bandwidth. The final part of the thesis is dedicated to future work, based on the results presented thus far. Three suggestions for future study are presented, including chiroptical signals from higher-order chiral arrangements, the effect of reflecting surfaces next to chiral objects and the possible use of orbital angular momentum for chiroptical measurements.

- Alicyclic diols can hydrogen bond in many different ways and yield most interesting structures. In this thesis, eight C2-symmetric diols 48-50, 78, 79 and 81-83 were synthesized and their crystal structures were determined. No less than seven of these show unusual solid state behaviour: 48 and 78 are inclusion hosts; 49, 50 and 78 form doubly-stranded hydrogen-bonded ladder structures, where there is a strong preference for each strand to be homochiral; 78, 81 and 82 undergo self-resolution during recrystallization; and 83 forms chirally pure crystals (but the material is still racemic). - One of the favourable supramolecular synthons for hydroxy compounds is the (O-H)6 cycle of hydrogen bonds. When this cycle is formed by a racemic compound, its enantiomers alternate down-up-down etc. around the cycle. No case of an (O-H)6 cycle involving chirally pure hydroxy compounds is known. These observations indicate a strong preference for the (O-H)6 cycle being constructed from achiral or racemic molecules rather than from chirally pure hydroxyl compounds. Racemic (??)-48 and (??)-92 which are already known to form (O-H)6 cycles in the solid state were prepared in chirally pure form and their X-ray crystal structures determined. No (O-H)6 cycles were observed for these homochiral diols. These findings confirm that the (O-H)6 motif occurs only for achiral or racemic compounds. - Similarly, the edge-to-edge eight-membered aryl C-H???N dimer involves either achiral molecules or those of opposite chirality. No chirally pure dimers of this type are reported. Racemic compounds 42-44 that are known to pack using the C-H???N dimer were synthesized in chirally pure form. No edge-to-edge eight-membered aryl C-H???N dimers were formed in the solid state. Hence this supramolecular synthon is only favoured for achiral or racemic compounds only. - Other major conclusions are that the cause of self-resolution is due to packing energy. In some cases it is likely that solvent choice, or solvent plus temperature selection, can be used to control self-resolution.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 194-203).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 126-127).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Drexel University, 2007. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 240-242).

A Short and efficient syntheses of chiral 2, 2¡¦- bipyridine derivatives by Kröhnke reaction. The bipyridines allow well defined in self- assembly of double stranded helicates by coordinating with silver(¢¹).