Synthesis and mesomorphic properties of 7-alkoxybezopyrano[2,3-c]pyrazol-3-one

A new series of fused polyheterocyclic aromatic compounds, 7-alkoxybezopyrano[2,3-c]pyrazol-3-one (C- n BPP), were synthesised and characterised by infrared, 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), 13C-NMR and two-dimensional 1H-13C cosy spectra. Their phase transition behaviour was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and polarising optical microscopy. All of these compounds showed enantiotropic mesophases with temperature domains of 12–60°C and 22–69°C on heating and cooling processes for a carbon number of the alkoxy chain from 2 to 10. The effect of the length of the alkoxy chain on the mesomorphic properties was discussed. Comparison of C- n BPP and several kinds of coumarin derivatives indicated that the intermolecular hydrogen bonding acted as the driving force of the mesophase formation.