NMR investigation of a thermotropic liquid crystal showing isotropic-isotropic'-(columnar)-cubic phase transitions

In this work, we report a first detailed study of the mesophasic behaviour of the calamitic liquid crystal, a (4,4-bis(4-carboxybelzyloxy)biphenyl derivate, labelled 9/2 RS/RS, showing an isotropic-isotropic-(columnar)-cubic phase behaviour on cooling. H-1 NMR diffusometry allowed to distinguish between the two isotropic phases in terms of diffusion characterized by different Arrhenius activation energy, while C-13 NMR static measurements and H-2 NMR investigations were of help in understanding the orientational ordering properties of the metastable columnar phase and confirmed the isotropic state of the sample in the cubic phase.