Molecular engineering of discotic liquid crystals

Extended-Core Discotic Liquid Crystals Based on the Intramolecular H-Bonding in N-Acylated 2,2'-Bipyridine-3,3'-diamine Moieties

A new type of disc-shaped molecule (1 a-c) has been synthesised and characterised. The molecules were built up by linking three lipophilic, N-monoacylated 2,2'-bipyridine-3,3'-diamine wedges to a central 1,3,5-benzenetricarbonyl unit. They show liquid crystalline behaviour, as shown by DSC, polarisation microscopy and X-ray diffraction. In all cases the mesophase was characterised as a Dho phase. From (1) H NMR results it was shown that the interior of compounds 1 a-c preferentially adopts a C3 symmetrical conformation owing to strong intramolecular H-bonding, which gives rise to an extended core. This large core induces strong interactions between molecules, leading to mesophases of enhanced thermal stability.

Liquid-crystalline ordering as a concept in materials science: from semiconductors to stimuli-responsive devices

While the unique optical properties of liquid crystals (LCs) are already well exploited for flat-panel displays, their intrinsic ability to self-organize into ordered mesophases, which are intermediate states between crystal and liquid, gives rise to a broad variety of additional applications. The high degree of molecular order, the possibility for large scale orientation, and the structural motif of the aromatic subunits recommend liquid-crystalline materials as organic semiconductors, which are solvent-processable and can easily be deposited on a substrate. The anisotropy of liquid crystals can further cause a stimuli-responsive macroscopic shape change of cross-linked polymer networks, which act as reversibly contracting artificial muscles. After illustrating the concept of liquid-crystalline order in this Review, emphasis will be placed on synthetic strategies for novel classes of LC materials, and the design and fabrication of active devices.