Nanostructured assemblies of liquid-crystalline supermolecules: from display to medicine

ABSTRACT

Liquid crystal oligomers have a supermolecular structure in which two or more mesogenic units are interconnected through flexible spacers. They can form various molecular packing structures in their liquid-crystalline phases. We present flexible LC oligomers stabilising optically isotropic phases, i.e. blue phases (BPs) and chiral conglomerate phases. Hysteresis free switching, high contrast and wide viewing angle are obtainable in the amorphous BPIII without surface treatment. Spontaneous mirror symmetry breaking in layered phases of achiral flexible linear trimers produces periodic nanostructured surfaces. Then we demonstrate the effects of liquid-crystallinity on anticancer activities. Biological systems have links with liquid crystallinity. We found a molecular assembly of mesogenic molecules possessing an active site as a novel therapeutic approach against solid cancer cells.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Liquid crystal
• chirality
• blue phase
• chiral conglomerate phase
• mirror symmetry breaking
• anticancer activity

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Dr Isa Nishiyama of DIC Corporation for helpful discussions. I also thank co-workers for appearing in the papers cited in the references.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.