Intensive Investigation of Phase Behaviors of Discotic Liquid Crystals with an Unprecedented 3D Structure

基于我们最初的发现，六烷基氧基三苯基衍生物，携带咪唑离子端石蜡侧链，产生独特的双连续立方中间相，本研究旨在阐明这类新型液晶（LC）材料的结构方面。经过多次试验，我们发现使用三苯基六羧酸酯代替六烷氧基三苯基核心，可以形成单域立方中间相。这一发现使我们得以揭开LC材料的电子密度图。事实上，所得到的结构是前所未有的，其特点是由咪唑离子垂坠的组装组成的陀螺和环域的混合结构。

Based on our original finding that hexaalkoxytriphenylene derivatives, carrying imidazolium ion-terminated paraffinic side chains, generate a unique bicontinuous cubic mesophase, the present research aimed to elucidate the structural aspects of this new class of liquid crystalline (LC) materials. After many trials, we found that the use of triphenylene hexacarboxylic ester, in place of a hexaalkoxytriphenylene core, leads to the formation of a monodomain cubic mesophase. This finding allowed us to unveil the electron density map of the LC material. Indeed, the resultant structure is unprecedented and is characterized by a hybrid structure of gyroid and ring domains, consisting of assemblies of the imidazolium-ion pendants.