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Related Concept Videos

Crown Ethers02:36

Crown Ethers

Crown ethers are cyclic polyethers that contain multiple oxygen atoms, usually arranged in a regular pattern. The first crown ether was synthesized by Charles Pederson while working at DuPont in 1967. For this work, Pedersen was co-awarded the 1987 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Crown ethers are named using the formula x-crown-y, where x is the total number of atoms in the ring and y is the number of ether oxygen atoms. The term 'crown' refers to the crown-like shape that these ether molecules take.
Polymer Classification: Crystallinity01:21

Polymer Classification: Crystallinity

Unlike ionic or small covalent molecules, polymers do not form crystalline solids due to the diffusion limitations of their long-chain structures. However, polymers contain microscopic crystalline domains separated by amorphous domains.
Crystalline domains are the regions where polymer chains are aligned in an orderly manner and held together in proximity by intermolecular forces. For example, chains in the crystalline domains of polyethylene and nylon are bound together by van der Waals...
Structure and Nomenclature of Ethers02:28

Structure and Nomenclature of Ethers

Structure and Bonding
Ethers are organic compounds with an ether functional group which is characterized by an oxygen atom connected to two — identical or different — alkyl, aryl, or vinyl groups. The C–O–C linkage in dimethyl ether — the simplest ether — has an approximately tetrahedral bond angle of 110.3 degrees. The oxygen atom is sp3- hybridized, with the C–O distance being about 140 pm.
Classification of Ethers
Based on their attached substituent groups, ethers can be classified into two...
Micelles01:30

Micelles

Micelle formation is an intricate process that hinges on the properties of amphiphilic or amphipathic molecules and the conditions of the system in which they are found. Amphiphilic molecules, which have both hydrophilic (water-attracting) and hydrophobic (water-repelling) parts, play a critical role in this process.In aqueous environments, these molecules arrange themselves such that their hydrophilic heads are turned towards the water phase, while their hydrophobic tails are oriented away...
Structure and Nomenclature of Epoxides02:38

Structure and Nomenclature of Epoxides

Cyclic ethers are heterocyclic compounds with an oxygen atom in the ring along with carbon atoms. They are named depending on the number of carbon atoms present in their ring system. Cyclic ethers with a three-membered ring system are called “oxirane”, four-membered ring systems as “oxetane”, five-membered ring systems as “oxolane”, and six-membered ring systems as “oxane”. The cyclic structure of these rings imposes angle strain, and this strain is more in the ring having a smaller number of...
Ethers to Alkyl Halides: Acidic Cleavage02:18

Ethers to Alkyl Halides: Acidic Cleavage

Ethers are generally unreactive and unsuitable for direct nucleophilic substitution reactions since the alkoxy groups are strong bases and, therefore, poor leaving groups. However, ethers readily undergo acidic-cleavage reactions. Ethers can be converted to alkyl halides when heated with strong acids such as HBr and HI in a sequence of two substitution reactions.

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Updated: May 30, 2026

From Molecules to Materials: Engineering New Ionic Liquid Crystals Through Halogen Bonding
06:44

From Molecules to Materials: Engineering New Ionic Liquid Crystals Through Halogen Bonding

Published on: March 24, 2018

Liquid crystalline crown ethers.

Martin Kaller1, Sabine Laschat

  • 1Institut für Organische Chemie der Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 55, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.

Topics in Current Chemistry
|August 10, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This review covers liquid crystalline crown ethers, including various structures and their synthesis. Complexation significantly impacts their liquid crystal properties, with applications in sensors and membranes.

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Area of Science:

  • Supramolecular Chemistry
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Crown ethers are macrocyclic compounds known for their ability to bind ions.
  • Liquid crystallinity refers to states of matter with properties between conventional liquids and solid crystals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a comprehensive review of research on liquid crystalline crown ethers.
  • To discuss the synthesis, structure-property relationships, and applications of these materials.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on liquid crystalline crown ethers.
  • Analysis of structural modifications (monomeric, polymeric, heteroatoms) and their impact on mesophase formation.
  • Discussion of the influence of complexation with various salts on liquid crystalline behavior.

Main Results:

  • Liquid crystallinity in crown ethers is primarily influenced by substituents, affecting mesophase type and stability.
  • Complexation effects vary widely, from inducing or stabilizing to destabilizing or eliminating mesophases.
  • Diverse substituent geometries (rods, discs, tapers) lead to different mesophases.

Conclusions:

  • Liquid crystalline crown ethers represent a versatile class of materials with tunable properties.
  • Complexation offers a powerful strategy to modulate their supramolecular organization and phase behavior.
  • Potential applications exist in sensor technology, membrane science, and chromatography.