Syntheses and Functionarities of Metallomesogens

众所周知，液晶仅作为成像材料得到了非常积极的研究。由于液晶显示（LCD）的应用非常有用，基于液晶状态本身的其他可能性可能被忽略。在这个研究小组中，我们站在与传统思维方法完全不同的观点上，即“液晶=应用于LCD”。因此，我们研究的不是传统的液晶，而是迄今为止未知的新型液晶。目前，大多数已知的液晶都是纯有机化合物。尽管如此，我们已经合成了不同类型的液晶：分子形状为盘状的盘状液晶、含有金属的金属合成液晶、氢键液晶、离子液晶等等。虽然这些研究可能被视为与传统LC研究工作的异端，但在这些材料中发现了非常成功的新功能，如高导电性，磁性等。由于这一领域的新颖性，日本的冶金学研究人员倾向于在自己固有的会议和/或会议上展示他们的研究成果。我们没有机会在同一个地方与所有人一起讨论。因此，我们建议在1997 - 1998年的两年时间里，将这个课题组命名为“metallomeesogens的合成和功能”。在这个研究小组中，我们可以第一时间聚在一起讨论LCs的新领域。研究结果表明，新型功能LC材料有望在以下三个新的广阔领域获得巨大发展：(1)金属材料（包括热致性和溶致性LC），(2)盘状LC和高导电性LC，(3)氢键LC和离子LC。我们坚信这三个领域可以成为未来有前途的中间相化学。

It is well known that liquid crystals have been very actively investigated only as imaging materials. Since the application for liquid crystal display (LCD) is too outstandingly useful, the other possibilities based on the liquid crystalline state itself may be neglected.In this research group, we have stood on the viewpoint which is totally different from the conventional thinking method as "liquid crystals=application to LCD." Hence, we have studied not on the conventional liquid crystals for LCD but on novel liquid cryatals unknown so far.At this present time, most of the liguid crystals known are pure organic compounds. Nevertheless, we have synthesized different types of liquid crystals (LCs) : discotic LCs which molecular shapes are disk-like, metallomesogens which contain metals, hydrogenbonding LCs, ionic LCs, and so on. Although these investigations may be regarded as heretical from the conventional LC research works, very sueful novel functionalities like as high-conductivity, magnetism, and so on have been found in these materials.Researchers of metallomesogens in Japan tend to represent their works in their own inherent conferences and/or sessions because of novelty of this field. We had no opportunity to discuss with all together at the same place. Hence, we proposed to make this research group named as "Syntheses and Functionalities of Metallomesogens" for two years from 1997 to 1998. In this research group, we could meet all together and discuss about the new fields of LCs at the first time. As the results, we have reached to our common consensus that great development of novel functional LC materials can be expected on three new expansive fields : (i) metallomesogens (including both thermotropic and lyotropic LCs), (ii) discotic LCs and high-conductive LCs, and (iii) hydrogenbonding LCs and ionic LCs. We strongly believe that these three fields can become future-promising mesophase chemistry.