Optical and capacitance type, phase transition, humidity-responsive devices
First Claim
1. A lyotropic liquid crystal precursor salt complex that is an alkali metal salt of an aryl substituted keto organic acid, the salt having an ionic polar ring complex phase having(A) an organic aryl ring structure, and(B) a ring formed from the keto group of the organic acid portion, intervening ring-members, and the alkali metal ion, the ring having at least 5 members in which the alkali metal ion is a ring member that bonds to the keto group to form the ring complex, the complex having the general structure:
- ##STR2## in which the 5 to 13 member ring is formed from the alkali metal (Me) ring member that bonds to the keto group according to the following structure;
##STR3## where RM is one or more ring members when the complex ring is a 6 to 13 member ring; and
the following structure represents the 5 member ring;
##STR4##
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Abstract
The invention provides novel chemical compositions for use in primary, optical/capacitance hygrometric devices. It also provides methods for using these compositions as sensors for the precise measurement of the humidity of gases as well as the apparatus. The chemical compositions, which of themselves sense the change in water vapor pressure, are birefringent, translucent, and anisotropic at a first water vapor pressure/temperature, but non-birefrigent, optically clear, and isotropic at a second vapor pressure/temperature. Optical changes which accompany these phase changes may be amplified. Some compositions, exhibit abrupt and large increases in their dielectric constant coincident with the optical changes which occur at the phase shift point. Others show a large and precisely linear change in dielectric contant over many decades of relative humitity (RH), but the optical shift occurs at a precise point within the range. By noting the capacitance readout from a prestandardized combination optical/capacitance hygrometric device at the moment of optically indicated phase shift (when the system changes from isotropic to birefringent), any drift in the electronics of the device can be immediately detected since the sensor'"'"'s phase shift point is invariant. If it is desired to eliminate polarizer amplifiers because of their cost, sensor substrates can be shaped so that internal reflection within the substrate and optical coupling of the birefringent sensor to the substrate generate excellent optical signals at the sensor'"'"'s trigger points. The devices and methods of the new hygrometry allow many variations on the primary requirements. If desire, the sensor can be made an integral part of a capacitance-sensitive IC.
20 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A lyotropic liquid crystal precursor salt complex that is an alkali metal salt of an aryl substituted keto organic acid, the salt having an ionic polar ring complex phase having
(A) an organic aryl ring structure, and (B) a ring formed from the keto group of the organic acid portion, intervening ring-members, and the alkali metal ion, the ring having at least 5 members in which the alkali metal ion is a ring member that bonds to the keto group to form the ring complex, the complex having the general structure: - ##STR2## in which the 5 to 13 member ring is formed from the alkali metal (Me) ring member that bonds to the keto group according to the following structure;
##STR3## where RM is one or more ring members when the complex ring is a 6 to 13 member ring; and
the following structure represents the 5 member ring;
##STR4## - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
- ##STR2## in which the 5 to 13 member ring is formed from the alkali metal (Me) ring member that bonds to the keto group according to the following structure;
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5. A lyotropic liquid crystal salt complex that is one or more alkali metal salts of an acid of the general formula R--Aryl--CO--X--(CH2)y--CO2 H, where R is hydrogen, halogen, alkyl, alkoxy or nitro, where Aryl is phenyl, biphenyl, naphthalene, acenaphthene, fluorene, anthracene or pyrene, where X is nitrogen or a single carbon attached to the adjacent methylene carbon atom with a single bond, with the proviso when y is 0, X is --C═
- C-- and where y is 0 to 7, the salt being complexed with one or more polymers containing repetitive oxygen-bearing groups along a substantially linear chain, the complex having the general structure;
##STR5## in which the 7 to 13 member ring is formed from the alkali metal (Me) ring member that bonds the keto group according to the following structure;
##STR6## where RM is two or more ring members when the complex ring is a 7 to 13 member ring. - View Dependent Claims (6)
- C-- and where y is 0 to 7, the salt being complexed with one or more polymers containing repetitive oxygen-bearing groups along a substantially linear chain, the complex having the general structure;
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18. A lyotropic liquid crystal salt complex that is an alkali metal salt of an acid having an organic ring structure portion that is hydrophobic and an ionic polar head ring complex phase portion that is hydrophilic, the acid having a main chain of carbon atoms or carbon atoms and a nitrogen atom, the polar ring complex phase having a ring formed from the keto group of the acid portion, intervening ring members, and an alkali metal ion, the complex having the general structure:
- ##STR7## in which the 5 to 13 member ring is formed from the alkali metal (Me) ring member that bonds to the keto group according to the following structure;
##STR8## where RM is one or more ring members when the ring is a 6 to 13 member ring; and
the following structure represents the 5 member ring;
##STR9## - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 28, 29, 30, 31)
- ##STR7## in which the 5 to 13 member ring is formed from the alkali metal (Me) ring member that bonds to the keto group according to the following structure;
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22. An anhydrous precursor lyotropic liquid crystal salt complex that is an ahydrous alkali metal salt complex of an acid of the general formula:
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space="preserve" listing-type="equation">R--Aryl--CO--X--(CH.sub.2).sub.y --CO.sub.2 Hwhere R is hydrogen, halogen, alkyl, alkoxy or nitro, where Aryl is phenyl biphenyl, napthalene, acenaphthalene, fluorene, anthracene or pyrene and where X is is nitrogen or a carbon attached to the adjacent methylene carbon with a single bond, with the proviso when y is 0, X is --C═
C--, and where y is 0 to 7, the complex having the general structure;
##STR10## in which the 7 to 13 member ring is formed from the alkali metal (Me) ring member that bonds to the keto group according to the following structure;
##STR11## where RM is two or more ring members when the complex ring is a 7 to 13 member ring. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A salt complex as defined in claim 50 which is a lithium salt of benzoyl propionic acid or alkyl benzoyl propionic acid.
Specification