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Updated: Jan 1, 2026

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water
Published on: August 2, 2012
Controlling spontaneous mirror symmetry breaking in cubic liquid crystalline phases by the cycloaliphatic ring size
Tino Reppe1, Christian Dressel1, Silvio Poppe1
1Institute of Chemistry, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Kurt-Mothes-Straße 2, 06120 Halle, Germany. carsten.tschierske@chemie.uni-halle.de.
Abstract:
Rod-like molecules combining a fork-like triple chain end and a cycloaliphatic apex are introduced as a new design concept for materials with broad ranges of bicontinuous cubic (Cubbi) phases. By ring expansion from n = 4 to 12 a sequence of three Cubbi phases is observed; the achiral double gyroid la3[combining macron]d phase, a chiral "Im3m" phase and an achiral re-entrant la3[combining macron]d phase. The chiral "Im3m" phase is formed if the helical twist between the molecules along the networks is in the range of 8.6°-9.5°, either for the individual compounds or their mixtures.
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