Donor-acceptor columnar liquid crystals (DACLCs) are a class of thermotropic liquid crystals which are composed of alternating electron-poor and electron-rich aromatic molecules that self-assemble into a column. Highly-aligned ordered films of DACLCs are anisotropic and display incredible dichroism. These films may allow for the travel of electrons through the length of the columns. Methods for bulk alignment of DACLCs may be challenging. Here we present a method for consistent bulk alignment of the columns with greater control over the temperature gradient by using the zone-heating method along with a temperature controlled base. To analyze alignment in films we used polarized light microscopy. The alignment of these films has provided insight of optoelectronic behavior of DACLCs.

Bulk alignment control of novel donor-acceptor columnar liquid crystals

2019 Spring National Meeting

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