Structure–property relationships in lath-shaped triads based on multialkynylbenzene

ABSTRACT

This report elaborates the synthesis of symmetrical triads based on multialkynylbenzene linked via flexible alkyl spacers. Four mesogens were synthesised in which multialkynylbenzene units were connected to each other in a side-by-side fashion with varying flexible alkyl spacers. The compound with longest alkyl spacer, i.e. n = 7, exhibited N_D phase which has been characterised by polarised optical microscopy and detailed X-ray scattering studies (small/wide-angle X-ray scattering). Surprisingly, this triad shows N_D phase at high temperature as compared to our previous reports on room-temperature N_D phases.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Liquid crystals
• multialkynylbenzene
• nematic discotic
• triad

Acknowledgements

We are thankful to NMR and SAXS/WAXS facility at IISER Mohali. We thank Mr Priya Banerjee and Ms Ananya Ashim for experimental support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplemental material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Indian National Science Academy [SP/YSP/124/2015/433]. Dr SK Pal is grateful for financial support from INSA (bearing sanction no. SP/YSP/124/2015/433). M. Gupta acknowledges the receipt of a graduate fellowship from IISER Mohali. Dr SK Pal acknowledges funding from CSIR bearing Sanction No. 02(0311)/17/EMR-II for the project entitled ‘Synthesis and Characterization of Nanographenes based on hexabenzocoronene Discotics for Photovoltaics Applications’.