Ionic N-phenylpyridinium tetracatenar mesogens: competing driving forces in mesophase formation and unprecedented difference in phase stabilisation within a homologous series.

Herod, Jordan D; Bates, Martin A; Whitwood, Adrian C; Bruce, Duncan W · Soft Matter · 2019

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Ionic, tetracatenar liquid crystals containing an N-phenylpyridinum core are described; many of these compounds display a SmA phase, something extremely rare in tetracatenar materials. The competing forces driving mesophase formation lead to an unprecedented difference in phase stabilities for SmA and Colh phases.