Condensation reactions of glycerol with aldehydes and ketones were performed under thermal heating and microwave irradiation regimes. Homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts were tested in both conditions. A silica sulfated (SiO2-SO3H) heterogeneous catalyst demonstrated the best performance relative to a selectivity of >95% in favor of 5-membered ketals. For acetals, preference in favor of 5-membered or 6-membered functional groups depends on the nature of the catalyst. Homogenous catalysts favor the more stable 6-membered acetals, whereas heterogeneous catalysts favor the less stable 5-membered acetals. However, the isomer ratios in the acetalization reaction are too low, and hence the reaction cannot be used in a synthetic plan for functional materials. Ketalization processes mediated by SiO2-SO3H show a high selectivity in favor of a 5-membered ring (1,3-dioxolane). The scope of condensation was tested with different ketones. A mechanism for heterogeneous catalysis related to the selectivity in the cyclization process is presented herein. Solketal, a commercial product, was also obtained by a condensation reaction of glycerol and propanone, and showed a high selectivity in favor of 1,3-dioxolane. It was transformed to potential allylic and chiral intermediates. A mesogenic core was connected to the organic framework of glycerol to produce a monomer liquid crystal material with a stable smectic-C mesophase.

The synthesis of five quinolines 8-octyloxy-4-[4-(octyloxy)phenyl]quinoline and 6-alkoxy- 2-(4-alkoxyphenyl)-4-[(4-octyloxy)aryl]quinolines are described by three-component coupling reaction mediated by Lewis acid FeCl3 and Yb(OTf)3. 4-n-octyloxybenzaldehyde, anisaldehyde, 4-n-octyloxyaniline p-anisidine, and 1-ethynyl-4-heptyloxybenzene, 1-ethynyl-4-octyloxybenzene and 2-ethynyl-6-heptyloxynaphthalene are the reagents in this protocol. A Yb3+ catalyst resulted in higher yields of quinolines than Fe3+. Polarizing optical microscopy (POM) revealed that none of the quinolines were liquid crystals, even the more anisotropic. UV-Vis measurements of one of the quinolines in polar solvent show two absorption bands at 280 and 350 nm related to π,π* and n,π* transitions. No changes were observed to lower-energy absorption band (ε < 104 mol L-1 cm-1) related to n,π* transition. A laser flash photolysis study for one of the quinolines relates a main transient band at 450 nm with a lifetime of 2.6 µs in ethanol, which is completely quenched in the presence of oxygen. This transient band was assigned to triplet-triplet absorption of one of the quinolines, which is semi-oxidised in the presence of phenol. Radiative rate constants have been determined along singlet and triplet excited state energies (3.39 and 3.10 eV, respectively). The chemical structure of one of the quinolines was also unequivocally confirmed by single-crystal X-ray analysis.

Uma nova família de ésteres tiazolínicos e tiazóis foram sintetizados e as propriedades térmicas são apresentadas e discutidas. Os ésteres tiazolínicos foram obtidos pela reação de ciclização de benzonitrilas 4-substituídas com o amino ácido L-cisteína seguido da reação de esterificação com álcoois e fenol previamente selecionados. A oxidação dos ésteres tiazolínicos mediado pelo reagente BrCCl3/DBU permitiu a transformação dos respectivos ésteres tiazolínicos em ésteres tiazóis . Os compostos finais dos ésteres tiazolínicos e tiazóis são formados por cadeias alquílicas, (perfluoroalquil)alquílicas e p-alcoxifenilas. Alguns cristais líquidos mostraram serem mais relevantes. Um deles apresentou mesofase esmética A (SmA) monotrópica enquanto que outros apresentaram mesofase estável SmA. Como esperado, as cadeias de alcanos semifluorados induziram a formação de mesofase ortogonal via efeito de segregação.

A new family of thiazoline and thiazole esters has been synthesized and their thermal properties are presented and discussed. Thiazoline esters were obtained by cyclization reaction from 4-substituted benzenenitrile and amino acid L-cysteine followed by esterification reaction with selected alcohols and phenol. Subsequent oxidation step to transform thiazoline esters into thiazole esters was applied mediated by BrCCl3/DBU. The final thiazoline and thiazole esters are composed by terminal flexible hydrogenated alkyl chain from one side and to the other side by terminal segments of flexible alkyl chains (hydrogenated chain), (perfluoralkyl)alkyl chains (semifluorinated alkane) p-alkoxyphenyl chains. Some liquid crystals compounds for thiazoline and thiazole esters showed to be relevant. One of the thiazoline esters display a monotropic smectic A (SmA) mesophase while some thiazole esters show stable SmA mesophase. As expected semifluorinated alkane chain induce the formation of orthogonal mesophase by means of segregation effect.