Professor Corrie Imrie

Professor Corrie Imrie The University of Aberdeen School of Natural & Computing Sciences Chair in Chemistry work +44 (0)1224 272567 pref c.t.imrie@abdn.ac.uk

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Current Research

Liquid Crystals

Liquid crystals are a fascinating state of matter having certain properties characteristic of liquids with others typical of crystals. This duality of properties has important implications for the applications of liquid crystals which range from the familiar electro-optic displays to new types of fabrics whose colour changes depending on the mood of the wearer. Current research focuses on polymeric liquid crystals and, in particular, side chain liquid crystal polymers (SCLCP). The considerable application potential of SCLCPs in advanced electro-optic technologies, including information storage and non-linear optics, stems from the combination of macromolecular properties (mechanical integrity and ease of processibility) with the electro-optic characteristics of low molar mass mesogens. To realise such potential, however, materials having well-defined properties are required. Our research therefore involves: (a) the design and synthesis of novel polymers, (b) their thermal characterisation, and (c) micro- and macrostructural investigations. Other interests include polymer- dispersed liquid crystal displays and the synthesis of model compounds for liquid crystal polymers.

The scope of our studies will be greatly extended by the award of over £750k from SHEFC (Scottish Higher Education Funding Council) to set up SOMC (Scottish Offshore Materials Centre) which is a consortium of chemists, engineers and geologists at Aberdeen to examine the behaviour of real-size components under down-hole conditions (upto 2 kbar and 250° C).  Our particular interest here is the Thermal Analysis Service.

The availability of "almost unique" high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) facilities will enable us to carry out in situ investigations of a wide range of materials.

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Downloads

•  EPSRC Grant report GR/J32701: Supramolecular Side-Chain Liquid Crystal Polymers (PDF)

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Publications

Contributions to Journals

Articles

• Chan, T., Lu, Z., Yam, W., Yeap, G. & Imrie, CT. (2012). 'Non-symmetric liquid crystal dimers containing an isoflavone moiety'. Liquid Crystals, vol 39, no. 3, pp. 393-402.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1080/02678292.2012.658712
• Lee, H., Lu, Z., Henderson, PA., Achard, MF., Mahmood, WAK., Yeap, G. & Imrie, CT. (2012). 'Cholesteryl-based liquid crystal dimers containing a sulfur-sulfur link in the flexible spacer'. Liquid Crystals, vol 39, no. 2, pp. 259-268.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1080/02678292.2011.641753
• Martinez-Felipe, A., Moliner-Estopinan, C., Imrie, CT. & Ribes-Greus, A. (2012). 'Characterization of crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol)-based membranes with different hydrolysis degrees for their use as electrolytes in direct methanol fuel cells'. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, vol 124, no. 2, pp. 1000-1011.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1002/app.35138
• Donaldson, T., Henderson, PA., Achard, MF. & Imrie, CT. (2011). 'Chiral liquid crystal tetramers'. Journal of Materials Chemistry, vol 21, no. 29, pp. 10935-10941.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1039/c1jm10992h
• Cook, AG., Wardell, JL. & Imrie, CT. (2011). 'Carbohydrate liquid crystals: Synthesis and characterisation of the methyl-6-O-(n-acyl)-alpha-D-glucopyranosides'. Chemistry and Physics of Lipids, vol 164, no. 2, pp. 118-124.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2010.11.007
• Yeap, G., Lee, H., Mahmood, WAK., Imrie, CT., Takeuchi, D. & Osakada, K. (2011). 'Synthesis, thermal and optical behaviour of non-symmetric liquid crystal dimers alpha-(4-benzylidene-substituted-aniline-4 '-oxy)-omega-[pentyl-4-(4 '-phenyl)benzoateoxy]hexane'. Phase Transitions, vol 84, no. 1, pp. 29-37.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1080/01411594.2010.513613
• Henderson, PA. & Imrie, CT. (2011). 'Methylene-linked liquid crystal dimers and the twist-bend nematic phase'. Liquid Crystals, vol 38, no. 11-12, pp. 1407-1414.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1080/02678292.2011.624368
• Donaldson, T., Henderson, PA., Achard, MF. & Imrie, CT. (2011). 'Non-symmetric chiral liquid crystal trimers'. Liquid Crystals, vol 38, no. 10, pp. 1331-1339.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1080/02678292.2011.613265
• Ingram, MD. & Imrie, CT. (2011). 'New insights from variable-temperature and variable-pressure studies into coupling and decoupling processes for ion transport in polymer electrolytes and glasses'. Solid State Ionics, vol 196, no. 1, pp. 9-17.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1016/j.ssi.2011.05.019
• Donaldson, T., Staesche, H., Lu, ZB., Henderson, PA., Achard, MF. & Imrie, CT. (2010). 'Symmetric and non-symmetric chiral liquid crystal dimers'. Liquid Crystals, vol 37, no. 8, pp. 1097-1110.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1080/02678292.2010.494412
• Martinez-Felipe, A., Ballester-Sarrias, E., Imrie, CT. & Ribes-Greus, A. (2010). 'Preparation and Thermal Characterization of Films Containing Liquid Crystals in a Cellulose Acetate Substrate for Externally Regulated Applications'. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, vol 115, no. 6, pp. 3282-3294.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1002/app.31376
• Imrie, CT., Henderson, P. & Yeap, G. (2009). 'Liquid crystal oligomers: going beyond dimers'. Liquid Crystals, vol 36, no. 6-7, pp. 755-777.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1080/02678290903157455
• Yeap, G., Hng, T., Yeap, S., Gorecka, E., Ito, MM., Ueno, K., Okamoto, M., Mahmood, WAK. & Imrie, CT. (2009). 'Why do non-symmetric dimers intercalate?: The synthesis and characterisation of the -(4-benzylidene-substituted-aniline-4'-oxy)--(2-methylbutyl-4'-(4''-phenyl)benzoateoxy)alkanes'. Liquid Crystals, vol 36, no. 12, pp. 1431-1441.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1080/02678290903271504
• Ledru, J., Imrie, CT., Pulham, CR., Céolin, R. & Hutchinson, JM. (2007). 'High pressure differential scanning calorimetry investigations on the pressure dependence of the melting of paracetamol Polymorphs I and II'. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, vol 96, no. 10, pp. 2784-2794.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1002/jps.20903
• Ledru, J., Imrie, CT., Hutchinson, JM. & Hohne, GWH. (2006). 'High pressure differential scanning calorimetry: aspects of calibration'. Thermochimica Acta, vol 446, no. 1-2, pp. 66-72.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1016/j.tca.2006.04.018
• Henderson, PA. & Imrie, CT. (2005). 'Semiflexible liquid crystalline tetramers as models of structurally analogous copolymers'. Macromolecules, vol 38, no. 8, pp. 3307-3311.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1021/ma0502304
• Henderson, PA. & Imrie, CT. (2005). 'Non-symmetric liquid crystal trimers'. Liquid Crystals, vol 32, no. 6, pp. 673-682.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1080/02678290500116235
• Hamley, IW., Castelletto, V., Parras, P., Lu, ZB., Imrie, CT. & Itoh, T. (2005). 'Ordering on multiple lengthscales in a series of side group liquid crystal block copolymers containing a cholesteryl-based mesogen'. Physical Review E - Statistical, Nonlinear and Soft Matter Physics, vol 1, pp. 355-363.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1039/b510512a
• Tomikawa, N., Lu, ZB., Itoh, T., Imrie, CT., Adachi, M., Tokita, M. & Watanabe, J. (2005). 'Orientation of microphase-segregated cylinders in liquid crystalline diblock copolymer by magnetic field'. Japanese Journal of Applied Physics. Part 2, Letters, vol 44.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1143/JJAP.44.L711
• Imrie, CT., Konidakis, I. & Ingram, MD. (2004). 'What variable-pressure variable-temperature measurements are telling us about ion transport in glass'. Dalton Transactions, vol 7, pp. 3067-3070.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1039/b403427a
• Ingram, MD., Imrie, CT., Konidakis, I. & Voss, S. (2004). 'Significance of activation volumes for cation transport in glassy electrolytes'. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, vol 6, pp. 3659-3662.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1039/b314879c
• Stoeva, Z., Imrie, CT. & Ingram, MD. (2003). 'Effect of pressure on ion transport in amorphous and semi-crystalline polymer electrolytes'. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, vol 5, no. 5, pp. 395-399.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1039/b208552f
• Ansari, IA., Castelletto, V., Mykhaylyk, T., Hamley, IW., Lu, ZB., Itoh, T. & Imrie, CT. (2003). 'Hierarchical order in a side-group liquid crystalline block copolymer'. Macromolecules, vol 36, pp. 8898-8901.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1021/ma0349635
• Imrie, CT., Chen, Y. & Ryder, KS. (2002). 'Synthesis, characterization and polymerisation of a pyrrole-based chiral liquid crystal'. Journal of Materials Science Letters, no. 21, pp. 595-597.
• Imrie, CT., Jiang, Z. & Hutchinson, JM. (2002). 'An introduction to temperature modulated differential scanning calorimetry (TMDSC): a relatively non-mathematical approach'. Thermochimica Acta, no. 387, pp. 75-93.
• Imrie, CT., Contat-Rodrigo, L. & Ribes-Greus, A. (2002). 'Thermal Analysis of High-Density Polyethylene and Low-Density Polyethylene with Enhanced Biodegradability'. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, vol 86, no. 86, pp. 764-772.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1002/app.10974
• Imrie, CT., Contat-Rodrigo, L. & Ribes-Greus, A. (2002). 'Characterization by Thermal Analysis of High Density Polyethylene/Polypropylene Blends with Enhanced biodegradability'. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, vol 86, no. 86, pp. 174-185.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1002/app.10941
• Bandaranayake, PWSK., Imrie, CT. & Ingram, MD. (2002). 'Pressure dependent conductivities and activation volumes in Li x Na (1-x) PO 3 glasses: evidence for a new matrix-mediated coupling mechanism in mixed-cation glasses?'. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, vol 4, pp. 3209-3213.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1039/b201215d
• Imrie, CT. & Henderson, PA. (2002). 'Liquid Crystal dimers and oligomers'. CURRENT OPINION IN COLLOID & INTERFACE SCIENCE, vol 7, no. 7, pp. 298-311.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1016/S1359-0294(02)00092-4
• Jiang, Z., Hutchinson, JM. & Imrie, CT. (2001). 'Measurement of the wax appearance temperatures of crude oils by temperature modulated differential scanning calorimetry'. Fuel, vol 80, pp. 367-371.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1016/S0016-2361(00)00092-2
• Imrie, CT. & Ingram, MD. (2001). 'Decoupled ion transport in mesomorphis polymer electrolyte glasses'. Electrochimica Acta, vol 46, pp. 1413-1417.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1016/S0013-4686(00)00734-9
• Jiang, Z., Imrie, CT. & Hutchinson, JM. (2001). 'Temperature Modulated Differential Scanning Calorimetry. Part IV. Effect of heat transfer on the measurement of heat capacity using quasi-isothermal ADSC'. Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry, vol 64, pp. 85-107.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1023/A:1011528827752
• Chen, Y., Imrie, CT. & Ryder, KS. (2001). 'Pyrrole- and polypyrrole-based liquid crystals'. Journal of Materials Chemistry, vol 11, pp. 990-995.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1039/b009237l
• Henderson, PA., Niemeyer, O. & Imrie, CT. (2001). 'Methylene-lonked liquid crystal dimers'. Liquid Crystals, vol 28, pp. 463-472.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1080/02678290010007558
• Goodby, JW., Bruce, DW., Hird, M., Imrie, CT. & Neal, M. (2001). 'An introduction to Materials Discussion No. 4: Molecular topology in liquid crystals'. Journal of Materials Chemistry, vol 22, pp. 2631-2636.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1039/b108757f
• Attard, GS., Date, RW., Imrie, CT., Luckhurst, GR., Roskilly, SJ., Seddon, JM. & Taylor, L. (1994). 'Non-symmetric dimeric liquid crystals: The preparation and properties of the alpha-(4-cyanobiphenyl-4 '-yloxy)-omega-(4-n-alkylanilinebenzylidene-4 '-oxy) alkanes'. Liquid Crystals, vol 16, no. 4, pp. 529-581.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1080/02678299408036531

Comments and Debates

• Imrie, CT. (1995). 'Reactions of secondary nitramines with tributylin hydride and tris (trimethylsilyl) silane'. Journal of Chemical Research, no. 8, pp. 328-329.

Editorials

• Imrie, CT. (2006). 'Non-symmetric liquid crystal dimers: How to make molecules intercalate'. Liquid Crystals, vol 33, pp. 1449-1454.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1080/02678290601140498

Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings

Chapters

• Imrie, CT. (2002). 'Case Study – Liquid Crystals – the fourth state of matter'. In The Molecular World The Third Dimension; The Royal Society of Chemistry and Open University; 2002 In The Molecular World The Third Dimension; The Royal Society of Chemistry and Open University; 2002, pp. 197-231.

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