Crystal structure analysis of two crystalline bis(ω-hydroxyalkoxy)biphenyls using a combination of powder diffraction, IR spectroscopy and molecular simulation

The structure of a crystalline mesogenic diol has been determined from high-resolution synchrotron powder-diffraction data. The disordered structure of another long-chain diol has been analyzed with XRD, IR spectroscopy and molecular simulation, revealing the character of the disorder. Both structures are lamellar-packed and layered.