Polar and Apolar Columnar Phases Made of Bent-Core Mesogens

Self-assembled structures of bent-shaped π-conjugated compounds: effect of siloxane groups for nano-segregation

The tuning of nanostructures is successfully achieved by introduction of siloxane unit to bithiophene-modified bent-shaped skeleton.

Photoresponsive Cyanostilbene Bent-Core Liquid Crystals as New Materials with Light-Driven Modulated Polarization

Two isomeric cyanostilbene photoswitchable bent-core mesogens with polar liquid crystal phases in which macroscopic polarization and luminescence can be light-modulated are introduced. Z/E isomerization or [2+2] cycloaddition photochemical processes occur depending on the chemical structure, which make the compounds very innovative multifunctional advanced materials.

1D, 2D and 3D liquid crystalline phases formed by bent-core mesogens

The type of the mesophase is altered by a small change in the molecular architecture, i.e. increasing the number of alkyl chains attached to the mesogenic core at terminal positions. Lamellar (1D) and columnar (2D) phases are formed for molecules with one and three terminal chains, respectively. For those with two chains 3D phases are observed with either cubic or triclinic symmetry structure.

The influence of lateral fluorination and cyanation on the mesomorphism of polycatenar mesogens and the nature of the SmC phase therein

Several series of tetracatenar mesogens having different lateral substituents (–F, –CN, –CF₃) on the central ring have been synthesised and their mesomorphism investigated by polarising microscopy, DSC and small-angle X-ray scattering methods.

Structural investigation of resorcinol based symmetrical banana mesogens by XRD, NMR and polarization measurements

The structural characterization of two bent-core mesogens DBPPD and DBPPDO which differ in terminal chains reveals B₂ and B₇ mesophases while the orientational order parameter for DBPPD is found to be 0.84 with a bent angle of 120.5°.

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.