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Hamaguchi K, Lu H, Okamura S, Kajiyama S, Uchida J, Sato S, Watanabe G, Ishii Y, Washizu H, Ungar G, Kato T. Reentrant 2D Nanostructured Liquid Crystals by Competition between Molecular Packing and Conformation: Potential Design for Multistep Switching of Ionic Conductivity. Chemphyschem 2023; 24:e202200927. [PMID: 36594677 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202200927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 12/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Reentrant phenomena in soft matter and biosystems have attracted considerable attention because their properties are closely related to high functionality. Here, we report a combined experimental and computational study on the self-assembly and reentrant behavior of a single-component thermotropic smectic liquid crystal toward the realization of dynamically functional materials. We have designed and synthesized a mesogenic molecule consisting of an alicyclic trans,trans-bicyclohexyl mesogen and a polar cyclic carbonate group connected by a flexible tetra(oxyethylene) spacer. The molecule exhibits an unprecedented sequence of layered smectic phases, in the order: smectic A-smectic B-reentrant smectic A. Electron density profiles and large-scale molecular dynamics simulations indicate that competition between the stacking of bicyclohexyl mesogens and the conformational flexibility of tetra(oxyethylene) chains induces this unusual reentrant behavior. Ion-conductive reentrant liquid-crystalline materials have been developed, which undergo the multistep conductivity changes in response to temperature. The reentrant liquid crystals have potential as new mesogenic materials exhibiting switching functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuma Hamaguchi
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
| | - Huanjun Lu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Heat Fluid Flow Technology and Energy Application School of Physical Science and Technology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, China
| | - Shota Okamura
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
| | - Satoshi Kajiyama
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
| | - Junya Uchida
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Sato
- Department of Physics, School of Science, Kitasato University Kitasato, Minami-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-0373, Japan
| | - Go Watanabe
- Department of Physics, School of Science, Kitasato University Kitasato, Minami-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-0373, Japan
| | - Yoshiki Ishii
- Graduate School of Information Science, University of Hyogo Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Washizu
- Graduate School of Information Science, University of Hyogo Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan
| | - Goran Ungar
- State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials Shaanxi International Research Center for Soft Matter, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Takashi Kato
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan.,Research Initiative for Supra-Materials, Shinshu University Wakasato, Nagano, 380-8553, Japan
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