Hydrogen-bonded liquid crystalline materials: Supramolecular polymeric assembly and the induction of dynamic function [Review]

摘要

Liquid crystals are molecular materials that combine anisotropy with dynamic nature. Recently, use of hydrogen bonding for the design of functional liquid crystalline materials has been shown to be a versatile approach toward the control of simple molecularly assembled structures and the induction of dynamic function. A variety of hydrogen-bonded liquid crystals has been prepared by molecular self-assembly processes via hydrogen bond formation. Rod-Eke and disk-like low-molecular weight complexes and polymers with side-chain, main-chain, network, and guest-host structures have been built by the complexation of complimentary and identical hydrogen-bonded molecules. These materials consist. of closed-type hydrogen bondings. Another type of hydrogen-bonded liquid crystals consists of open-type hydrogen bonding. In this case, the introduction of hydrogen bonding moieties, such as hydroxyl groups, Induces microphase segregation leading to liquid crystal-line molecular order. Moreover, liquid crystalline physical gels have been prepared by the molecular aggregation of hydrogen-bonded molecules in non-hydrogen-bonded liquid crystals. They show significant electrooptical properties, An anisotropic gel is a new type of anisotropic materials forming heterogeneous structures. [References: 140]