Advances in Metal-Free Heterocycle-Based Columnar Liquid Crystals

Novel Discotic Boroxines: Synthesis and Mesomorphic Properties

A new synthetic approach to highly substituted triphenylboroxines 11 is described. Their mesomorphic properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarizing optical microscopy (POM) and X-ray diffraction (SAXS, WAXS). The tris(3,4,5-trialkyloxy)phenyl functionalized derivatives 11b–e showed broad mesophases for a minimum alkyl chain length of C9. The phase widths ranged from 110 K to 77 K near room temperature, thus decreasing with enhanced alkyl chain lengths. Textures observed under POM indicated a columnar hexagonal (Col_h) mesophase symmetry that was confirmed by X-ray diffraction experiments.

Development of structural complexity by liquid-crystal self-assembly

Since the discovery of the liquid-crystalline state of matter 125 years ago, this field has developed into a scientific area with many facets. This Review presents recent developments in the molecular design and self-assembly of liquid crystals. The focus is on new exciting soft-matter structures distinct from the usually observed nematic, smectic, and columnar phases. These new structures have enhanced complexity, including multicompartment and cellular structures, periodic and quasiperiodic arrays of spheres, and new emergent properties, such as ferroelctricity and spontaneous achiral symmetry-breaking. Comparisons are made with developments in related fields, such as self-assembled monolayers, multiblock copolymers, and nanoparticle arrays. Measures of structural complexity used herein are the size of the lattice, the number of distinct compartments, the dimensionality, and the logic depth of the resulting supramolecular structures.

[Ir(P-OP)]-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of diversely substituted C═N-containing heterocycles

Iridium(I) complexes of enantiomerically pure phosphine-phosphite ligands ([Ir(Cl)(cod)(P-OP)]) efficiently catalyze the enantioselective hydrogenation of diverse C═N-containing heterocyclic compounds (benzoxazines, benzoxazinones, benzothiazinones, and quinoxalinones; 25 examples, up to 99% ee). A substrate-to-catalyst ratio as high as 2000:1 was reached.