Influence of molecular geometry on the formation, architecture and dynamics of H-bonded supramolecular associates in 1-phenyl alcohols

Abstract Combination of calorimetric, dielectric, infrared, diffraction studies and quantum DFT computations was used to analyze the impact of the molecular architecture of a set of four 1-phenyl alcohols (1-phenylethanol, 1-phenyl-1-propanol, 1-phenyl-1-butanol and 2-methyl-1-phenyl-1-propanol) on their glass transition temperature, molecular dynamics, relaxation processes, hydrogen-bonding pattern and intermolecular association. We showed that all these alcohols form H-bonded supramolecular nanoassociates even at room temperature, despite containing a steric hindrance in the form of the phenyl ring in the most disfavored position. However, the concentration and the size of the H-bonded structures as well as the mutual arrangement of molecules in these clusters are tremendously affected by the molecular architecture. In linear-shaped 1-phenyl alcohols, i.e., 1-phenylethanol, 1-phenyl-1-propanol, 1-phenyl-1-butanol, the intermolecular O-H···O bonds organize themselves into chain-like patterns. Moreover, these alcohols are characterized by similar strength of intermolecular H bonds at each temperature and similar glass transition temperature. In turn, the globular molecular shape of 2-methyl-1-phenyl-1-propanol leads to a weakening of H bonds in this system, an increase in the glass transition temperature and the formation of supramolecular clusters in which O-H···O connections imply ring-like organization of molecules. Finally, these studies clearly show that unlike the glass transition temperature, the molecular dynamics of the 1-phenyl alcohols in the liquid state is not only affected by the molecular architecture and hydrogen bond strength but also by the morphology of the associates composed of H-linked molecules.