Controlled self-assembly of alkylated-π compounds for soft materials — Towards optical and optoelectronic applications

Solution-processable organic light-emitting diodes utilizing electroluminescent perylene tetraester-based columnar liquid crystals

Herein, we reveal a homologous series of liquid crystals involving perylene tetraesters as the core connected to the four trialkoxyphenyl units at the periphery using the triazole moiety as the linker. A thorough analysis using differential scanning calorimetry, polarized optical microscopy, and small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering studies confirm that all the mesogens 1a-c hold a stable enantiotropic columnar mesophase. Suitable molecular orbital levels and excellent material photophysical and thermal properties encouraged the study of their electroluminescent properties. Due to this, a well designed solution-processable organic light emitting diode device structure is configured as ITO (125 nm)/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) (35 nm)/host: x wt% emitter (x = 0.5, 1.0, 3.0, 5.0) (20 nm)/2,2'2''-(1,3,5-benzinetriyl)tris(1-phenyl-1-H-benzimidazole) (TPBi) (40 nm)/lithium fluoride (LiF) (1 nm)/aluminium (Al) (200 nm) using compounds 1a-c as emitters. 4,4',4''-Tris[phenyl(m-tolyl)amino]triphenylamine (m-MTDATA) and 4,4'-bis(N-carbazolyl)-1,1'-biphenyl (CBP) were chosen as two different host materials. The current density-voltage-luminance and current efficacy-luminance-power efficacy plots suggest that m-MTDATA is a better host than CBP. Amongst, device based on 1 wt% emitter 1c doped in the m-MTDATA host matrix displayed the best performance, with a maximum power efficacy of 17.2 lm W^-1, current efficacy of 18.5 cd A^-1, and external quantum efficiency of 6.3%.

Circularly Polarized Luminescence from Solvent-Free Chiral Organic π-Liquids

The solvent-free organic π-liquids have been attracting increasing attentions owing to the inherent optoelectronic properties accompanied by the advantages of non-volatility and high processability. Herein, we reported a series of naphthalene derivatives substituted with chiral branched alkyl chains, which are present as liquids (Nap1-3) or solid (Nap4) at room temperature, depending on the substitution positions. Circular dichroism (CD) and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) were only observed for enantiomeric Nap2 (2,3-substituted) liquid. It is suggested that the chiral aggregation in the π-liquid leads to the CD signal and the chiral excimer resulting in the CPL performance. When achiral anthracene or pyrene was dissolved in Nap2, the π-liquid could serve as chirality and energy transfer media in which both CD and CPL emerged from the achiral anthracene. A CPL dissymmetry factor (|g_lum |) of anthracene reached to 5.2×10^-2 when dissolved in chiral Nap2 liquid, which is nearly two orders of magnitude higher than that of the pure Nap2 π-liquid.

Self-Stabilized Giant Aggregates in Water from Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids with an Asymmetric Polar-Apolar-Polar Architecture

We report the assembly of four imidazolium bromides, each of which bears a naphthyl on one side of the imidazolium cation and a branched alkyl chain on the other. This design creates a new type of amphiphilic ionic liquid with an apolar-polar-apolar structure and a low melting point (m_p, <-20 °C), which has not been achieved by reported counterparts bearing linear alkyl chains. In solvent-free states, microphase segregation occurs where polar and apolar domains arrange bicontinuously as proved by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. When dispersed in water, self-stabilized giant aggregates formed with ultrahigh colloidal stability (up to years). MD simulations provide clues of discrete bicontinuous phases within the giant aggregates. These newly discovered self-assemblies provide a heterogeneous reservoir that can accommodate guest molecules including the highly apolar fullerene C₆₀, paving the way for a wide range of potential applications.

Transition from nematic to gyroid-type cubic soft self-assembly by side-chain engineering of π-conjugated sticky rods

A sequence of liquid crystalline phases, involving cybotactic nematics, a lamellar phase, bicontinuous cubics and triangular honeycombs, was observed for oligo(phenylene ethynylene) based X-shaped bolapolyphiles with two long lateral alkyl chains and sticky ends provided by glycerol groups. In the cubic phase with Ia3[combining macron]d lattice - which is tailored by alkyl chain engineering - the aromatic cores are organized on the gyroid minimal surface in 3D curved layers of almost parallel aligned π-conjugated rods. It is shown that this type of cubic phase is a general mode of soft self-assembly of X-shaped bolapolyphiles at the cross-over from the (long or short range) lamellar to the triangular honeycomb-like organization. Cubic phase formation is found only in a narrow range with respect to temperature and chain-length for the non-fluorinated compounds and in much wider ranges for related core-fluorinated molecules.

Frontiers of solvent-free functional molecular liquids

The breakthrough of functional molecular liquids (FMLs) in cutting-edge research and their fundamental liquid features on the basis of molecular architectures are highlighted in this Feature Article.

Fibrillar networks of glycyrrhizic acid for hybrid nanomaterials with catalytic features

Self-assembly of the naturally occurring sweetening agent, glycyrrhizic acid (GA) in water is studied by small-angle X-ray scattering and microscopic techniques. Statistical analysis on atomic force microscopy images reveals the formation of ultralong GA fibrils with uniform thickness of 2.5 nm and right-handed twist with a pitch of 9 nm, independently of GA concentration. Transparent nematic GA hydrogels are exploited to create functional hybrid materials. Two-fold and three-fold hybrids are developed by introducing graphene oxide (GO) and in situ-synthesized gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) in the hydrogel matrix for catalysis applications. In the presence of GO, the catalytic efficiency of Au NPs in the reduction of p-nitrophenol to p-aminophenol is enhanced by 2.5 times. Gold microplate single crystals are further synthesized in the GA hydrogel, expanding the scope of these hybrids and demonstrating their versatility in materials design.

Alkyl-π engineering in state control toward versatile optoelectronic soft materials

Organic π-conjugated molecules with extremely rich and tailorable electronic and optical properties are frequently utilized for the fabrication of optoelectronic devices. To achieve high solubility for facile solution processing and desirable softness for flexible device fabrication, the rigid π units were in most cases attached by alkyl chains through chemical modification. Considerable numbers of alkylated-π molecular systems with versatile applications have been reported. However, a profound understanding of the molecular state control through proper alkyl chain substitution is still highly demanded because effective applications of these molecules are closely related to their physical states. To explore the underlying rule, we review a large number of alkylated-π molecules with emphasis on the interplay of van der Waals interactions (vdW) of the alkyl chains and π-π interactions of the π moieties. Based on our comprehensive investigations of the two interactions' impacts on the physical states of the molecules, a clear guidance for state control by alkyl-π engineering is proposed. Specifically, either with proper alkyl chain substitution or favorable additives, the vdW and π-π interactions can be adjusted, resulting in modulation of the physical states and optoelectronic properties of the molecules. We believe the strategy summarized here will significantly benefit the alkyl-π chemistry toward wide-spread applications in optoelectronic devices.

Efficient synthesis of highly soluble and functionalized fulleropyrrolidines

New functionalized fulleropyrrolidines with high emission and absorption.