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Microfluidic Preparation of Liquid Crystalline Elastomer Actuators

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Published on: May 20, 2018

A columnar liquid-crystalline shape-persistent macrocycle having a nanosegregated structure.

Harutoki Shimura¹, Masafumi Yoshio, Takashi Kato

¹Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.

Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry

|July 31, 2009

Summary

A novel macrocyclic molecule with glutamic acid and oligooxyethylene components self-assembles into a liquid-crystalline phase at room temperature. This self-assembly is driven by molecular structure and hydrogen bonding, creating ordered nanostructures.

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Area of Science:

Supramolecular Chemistry
Materials Science
Organic Chemistry

Background:

Liquid crystals exhibit unique properties useful in displays and sensors.
Designing molecules that self-assemble into ordered phases is crucial for advanced materials.
Macrocyclic compounds offer structural rigidity and defined architectures.

Purpose of the Study:

To synthesize and characterize a shape-persistent macrocyclic molecule.
To investigate the liquid-crystalline behavior of the synthesized molecule.
To elucidate the self-assembly mechanism driving the observed phase.

Main Methods:

Synthesis of a novel macrocyclic molecule incorporating glutamic acid and oligooxyethylene units.
Characterization of the molecule's structure and thermal properties using techniques like NMR and DSC.
Analysis of the liquid-crystalline phase behavior using polarized optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction.

Main Results:

The macrocyclic molecule demonstrated shape persistence.
A hexagonal columnar liquid-crystalline phase was observed at ambient temperature.
Nanosegregation of the molecular components and intermolecular hydrogen bonding were identified as key driving forces.

Conclusions:

The designed macrocyclic molecule self-assembles into a stable hexagonal columnar liquid-crystalline phase.
The interplay between molecular architecture, nanosegregation, and hydrogen bonding dictates the observed liquid-crystalline behavior.
This study presents a new molecular design strategy for creating functional liquid-crystalline materials.