Abstract
The PVT(pressure-volume-temperature) relation of main-chain dimer liquid crystals having structures such as $\alpha$,$\omega$-bis[(4,4`-cyanobiphenyl) oxy] alkane(CBA-n with=9, 10) were studied. these dimer liquid crystals are known to form an enantiotropic nematic mesophase. In this work, we have determined the volume change as a function of temperature and pressure by using a GNOMIX PVT apparatus. In the V-Tcurves obtaind from isobaris mearements on various pressures, volume changes were observed at the nematic-isotropiz and nematic-crystal phase transitions. The volume changes at the transition exhibit slight odd-even effect with respect to the number of methylene unit n. The values of the (S)v obtained at the NI transition for CBA-9 and -10 were 6.9 and 12.6J/mol k. The valuesof (S)v for the CN transition were estimated on the basis of DSC(differential scanning calorimetry) data: 58.8(CBA-9) and 65.3J/mol k (CBA-10). For both transition, it was found that the correction about the volume change is significant, ranging from 40% to 60% of the total transition entropy observed under constant pressure.