Donor-Acceptor Columnar Liquid Crystals (DACLCs) are formed from the combination of electron rich and electron poor aromatic components that stack in alternating columns. The electrostatic matching enhances the π- π stacking, and allows for a charge-transfer absorption the can be very broad in the UV/Vis/NIR region. Naphthalene Diimides (NDIs) are planar electron deficient aromatics that exhibits a low-lying LUMO that could be tuned through the addition of electron withdrawing group off of its core. In this work three derivatives, diCF<sub>3</sub>-NDI, diSEt-NDI, and oxidized diSEt-NDI, were synthesized. They were mixed with various electron-rich aromatics and the resulting new DACLCs were analyzed through Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Polarized Optical Microscopy (POM), and UV-Vis and NIR Spectroscopy. Further synthesis of core-substituted naphthalene diimide derivatives is in progress towards new DACLCs with enhanced optoelectronic properties.

Core-substituted naphthalene diimide derivatives in donor-acceptor columnar liquid crystals

251st National Meeting (2016)

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