Structure variation on self-assembly and optical properties of bent hexacatenars with dicyanothiophene bent core and amide links

ABSTRACT

Novel hexacatenars consisting of a dicyanothiophene π-conjugated rigid bent core connecting with two terminal hydrophobic paraffinic chains via amide links were prepared. These molecules can self-assemble into columnar phases with p6mm lattice via columns stacking by tilted disk and with p4mm lattice viacolumns stacking by nontilted disk stacking by elongation of the terminal alkyl chains. These molecules can also self-assemble into organogels with flower-like sphere morphologies. The photophysical properties measurement indicated that such compounds had typical solvatochromic properties with increasing polarity of solvent.

KEYWORDS:

• Liquid crystal
• lateral dipole
• gel
• solvatochromic properties

Acknowledgments

We thank Advanced Analysis and Measurement Center of Yunnan University for the sample testing service, and thank beamline 1W2A at Beijing Accelerator Laboratory and beamline BL16B1 at Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF), China.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/1539445X.2024.2321884.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China [No. 22261055], and the central government leads local scientific technological development Funds [No. 202307AB110010].