Smectic-A and Hexatic-B Liquid Crystal Phases of Sanidic Alkyl-Substituted Dibenzo[fg,op]naphthacenes

"Red Carbon": A Rediscovered Covalent Crystalline Semiconductor

Carbon suboxide (C₃ O₂ ) is a unique molecule able to polymerize spontaneously into highly conjugated light-absorbing structures at temperatures as low as 0 °C. Despite obvious advantages, little is known about the nature and the functional properties of this carbonaceous material. In this work, the aim is to bring "red carbon," a forgotten polymeric semiconductor, back to the community's attention. A solution polymerization process is adapted to simplify the synthesis and control the structure. This allows one to obtain this crystalline covalent material at low temperatures. Both spectroscopic and elemental analyses support the chemical structure represented as conjugated ladder polypyrone ribbons. Density functional theory calculations suggest a crystalline structure of AB stacks of polypyrone ribbons and identify the material as a direct bandgap semiconductor with a medium bandgap that is further confirmed by optical analysis. The material shows promising photocatalytic performance using blue light. Moreover, the simple condensation-aromatization route described here allows the straightforward fabrication of conjugated ladder polymers and can be inspiring for the synthesis of carbonaceous materials at low temperatures in general.

Angular structure factor of the hexatic-B liquid crystals: bridging theory and experiment

We report results of X-ray scattering studies of the angular structure factor of liquid crystal hexatic-B films. According to the sixfold rotational symmetry of the hexatic-B phase, its characteristic scattering splits into six reflections. The shape of the radial and angular cross-sections of these reflections and their temperature evolution are analyzed. We find that over a wide temperature range of the hexatic-B phase existence the angular profiles of the in-plane X-ray scattering are well fitted by the Voigt function, which is a convolution of the Gaussian and Lorentzian functions. This result is supported by the known theoretical considerations of the hexatic structure factor below the smectic-hexatic phase transition temperature. Similar predictions for the angular shape of the hexatic peak in the vicinity of the smectic-hexatic phase transition temperature follow from the multicritical scaling theory of the hexatic-B phase in three dimensions. We find that the specific shape of the hexatic structure factor can be explained by the interplay of two distinct contributions to the free energy of the system, a liquid-like density term and a coupling term between the bond-orientational order and short-range density fluctuations.

100th Anniversary of Macromolecular Science Viewpoint: Opportunities for Liquid Crystal Polymers in Nanopatterning and Beyond

Liquid-crystal polymers (LCPs) integrate at a molecular level the characteristics of two important material classes, i.e., liquid crystals (LCs) and polymers. As a result, they exhibit a wide variety of intriguing physical phenomena and have useful properties in various settings. In the nearly 50 years since the discovery of the first melt-processable LCPs, there has been a remarkable expansion in the field encompassing the development of new chain architectures, the incorporation of new classes of mesogens, and the exploration of new properties and applications. As engineering materials, LCPs are historically best known in the context of high strength fibers. In a more contemporary study, the pairing of LC mesophase assembly with block copolymer (BCP) self-assembly in LC BCPs has resulted in a fascinating interplay of ordering phenomena and rich phase behavior, while lightly cross-linked networks, LC elastomers, are extensively investigated as shape memory materials based on their thermomechanical actuation. As this Viewpoint describes, these and other examples are active areas of research in which new, compelling opportunities for LCPs are emerging. We highlight a few selected areas that we view as being potentially significant in the near future, with a particular emphasis on nanopatterning. Here, the ability to readily access small feature sizes, the fluidity of the LC mesophase, and LC-based handles for achieving orientation control present a compelling combination. Opportunities for LCPs are also presented under the broad rubric of "beyond nanopatterning", and we discuss relevant challenges and potential new directions in the field.

Synthesis, liquid crystalline behaviour and structure–property relationships of 1,3-bis(5-substituted-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)benzenes

Two series containing 1,3-bis(1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)benzene as a rigid core (RC) and alkyl or perfluoroalkyl as terminal chains were synthesized and characterized. Liquid crystal properties of the synthesized compounds have been investigated by polarizing optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction techniques. Conformation effects of the synthesized products on the dipole moments were also investigated.

Synthesis and characterization of two new TiO2-containing benzothiazole-based imine composites for organic device applications

The effect of the presence of titanium dioxide in two new imines, (E,E)-(butane-1,4-diyl)bis(oxybutane-4,1-diyl) bis(4-{[(benzo[d][1,3]thiazol-2-yl)methylidene]amino}benzoate) (SP1) and (E)-N-[(benzo[d][1,3]thiazol-2-yl)methylidene]-4-dodecylaniline (SP2), on the properties and stability of imine:TiO₂ composites for organic device applications were examined. The investigated titanium dioxide (in anatase form, obtained via the sol-gel method) exhibited a surface area of 59.5 m²/g according to Brunauer-Emmett-Teller theory, and its structure is a combination of both meso- and microporous. The average pore diameter calculated by the Barrett-Joyner-Halenda method was 6.2 nm and the cumulative volume of pores was 0.117 m³/g. The imine SP1 exhibited columnar organization (Col), while SP2 revealed a hexagonal columnar crystalline phase (Col_hk). The imine:TiO₂ mixtures in various weight ratio (3:0, 3:1, 3:2, 3:3) showed a lower energy gap and HOMO-LUMO energy levels compared to pure TiO₂. This implies that TiO₂ provides not only a larger surface area for sensitizer adsorption and good electron collection, but also causes a shift of the imine energy levels resulting from intermolecular interaction. Also the temperature of the phase transition was slightly affected with the increase of TiO₂ concentration in imine-based composites. The changes observed in the Fourier transform middle-infrared absorption (FT-MIR) spectra confirmed the significant influence of TiO₂ on structural properties of both investigated imines. Similar interactions of oxygen vacancies existing on the TiO₂ surface with SP1 and SP2 were observed. The imine:TiO₂ mixtures showed good air stability and reusability, which demonstrates its potential for organic device applications.