We have studied the self-assembly of amphiphilic dendrons extended with linear polyethylene oxide (PEO) chains and their ion complexes. Keeping the dendron core and linear PEO chain compatible allows for the combination of dendritic core-shell and conventional blockcopolymer characteristics for complex mesophase behavior. An unexpected sequence of crystalline lamellar, cubic micellar (Pm3n), hexagonal columnar, continuous cubic (Ia3d), and lamellar mesophases is observed. Multiple phase behavior within single compounds allows for the study of charge transport and mechanical property correlations as a function of structure. The results suggest an advanced molecular design concept for the next generation of nanostructured materials in applications involving charge transport.

The preparation and thennotropic phase behavior of coil-rod-coil triblock molecule of docosyl 4-(4-oxy-4'-biphenylcarbonyloxy)-4'-biphenyl carboxylate with poly(ethy1ene oxide) of twelve ethylene oxide subunits (E-12-22) and the complexes of the triblock molecule with LiCF3S0, are presented. E-12-22 appears to be only a smectic liquid crystalline. However, the complexation of E-12-22 with LiCF3S.03 induces a rich variety of enantiotropic liquid crystalline phases. The complexes of E-12-22 with 0.104.30 mol of LiCF3S03 per ethylene unit of a molecule exhibit successively cubic, columnar and smectic A mesophases on heating. The thermal stability of the mesophase exhibited by the lithium complexes based on each triblock molecule increases with increasing salt concentration.