Volume 21, Issue 5 p. 1938-1948
Full Paper

Control over Nanostructures and Associated Mesomorphic Properties of Doped Self-Assembled Triarylamine Liquid Crystals

Dr. Yuya Domoto,

SAMS research group University of Strasbourg, Institut Charles Sadron, CNRS, 23 rue du Loess, BP 84047, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2 (France)

Present address: Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Engineering, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo (Japan)

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Dr. Eric Busseron,

SAMS research group University of Strasbourg, Institut Charles Sadron, CNRS, 23 rue du Loess, BP 84047, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2 (France)

Present address: PCAS Expansia, Route d'Avignon, 30390 Aramon (France)

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Prof. Dr. Mounir Maaloum,

SAMS research group University of Strasbourg, Institut Charles Sadron, CNRS, 23 rue du Loess, BP 84047, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2 (France)

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Dr. Emilie Moulin,

SAMS research group University of Strasbourg, Institut Charles Sadron, CNRS, 23 rue du Loess, BP 84047, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2 (France)

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Prof. Dr. Nicolas Giuseppone,

Corresponding Author

SAMS research group University of Strasbourg, Institut Charles Sadron, CNRS, 23 rue du Loess, BP 84047, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2 (France)

SAMS research group University of Strasbourg, Institut Charles Sadron, CNRS, 23 rue du Loess, BP 84047, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2 (France)Search for more papers by this author
First published: 05 December 2014
Citations: 20

Abstract

Changing by packing: Chemically tailored triarylamine derivatives readily self-assemble upon visible light irradiation (see figure) to produce doped liquid crystals with complex mesophase behaviors.

Abstract

We have synthesized a series of triarylamine-cored molecules equipped with an adjacent amide moiety and dendritic peripheral tails in a variety of modes. We show by 1H NMR and UV/Vis spectroscopy that their supramolecular self-assembly can be promoted in solution upon light stimulation and radical initiation. In addition, we have probed their molecular arrangements and mesomorphic properties in the bulk by integrated studies on their film state by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), variable-temperature polarizing optical microscopy (VT-POM), variable-temperature X-ray diffraction (VT-XRD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Differences in the number and the disposition of the peripheral tails significantly affect their mesomorphic properties associated with their lamellar- or columnar-packed nanostructures, which are based on segregated stacks of the triphenylamine cores and the lipophilic/lipophobic periphery. Such structural tuning is of interest for implementation of these soft self-assemblies as electroactive materials from solution to mesophases.