Raman Spectroscopic Characterization of a Rod-Coil Liquid Crystalline Oligomer-LiCF₃SO₃ Complex

The interactions between a rod-coil liquid crystalline oligomer, ethyl 4-[4'-oxy-4-biphenylcarbonyloxy]-4'-biphenylcarboxylate with poly(ethylene oxide) (DP=12) (12-4) and LiCF3SO3 have been characterized by using Raman spectroscopy. Band assignments were made comparing the spectrum of 12-4 with those of the poly(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether(PEGME) (Mw=550) and the ethyl-4'-hydroxybiphenyl-4-carboxylate (EHBPC), which are the coil and mesogen analogues, respectively. Analyzing characteristic bands of the 12-4-salt complex, we have found that the bands belonging to the coil and mesogenic units are changed in both intensities and frequencies. The spectral changes were interpreted from the viewpoint of the complexation between 12-4 and the Li+ ion. However, the possibility that the spectral changes in the mesogenic unit are not due to the complexation with the Li+ ion, but due to the conformational changes by the intercalation of nondissociated LiCF3SO3, is not ruled out.