Propeller-like hydrogen-bonded banana-melamine complexes inducing helical supramolecular organizations

The results of the study presented here show a new example of the use of liquid crystals and the interactions involved in the mesomorphic state to build up complex molecular organizations. We have pursued a design strategy in which hydrogen bonding allows the combination of the pi-stacking tendency of melamine and the lateral interaction capability of V-shaped molecules, which has been extensively demonstrated through nematic, smectic, or columnar mesophases. This combination addresses the formation of columnar arrangements with inherent helical organization. In this work, nonmesomorphic as well as mesomorphic V-shaped acids, with a structure similar to banana liquid crystals, have been complexed to a 2,4,6-triamino-1,3,5-triazine derivative in a proportion 3 to 1, respectively. Hydrogen-bonded supramolecules whose formation and stability in solution have been proven by infrared and NMR techniques have been thus obtained. DOSY experiments have allowed us to assess in solution the presence of the complexes and their tetrameric composition. All the complexes display mesogenic ability, and their mesomorphic organization has been studied by X-ray diffraction and CD spectroscopy. Results allow us to propose a helical columnar model for the mesophase originated from a propeller-like conformation of the supramolecular complexes.