Novel bolaamphiphiles, consisting of a biphenyl rigid core, polar 2,3-dihydroxypropoxy groups at each terminal end, and an additional long alkyl chain in a lateral position have been synthesized. The structures of these ternary block molecules were systematically changed by variation of the length and position of the alkyl chain, by introduction of additional spacer units between one of the 2,3-dihydroxypropyl groups and the rigid core, and by replacement of one of the 2,3-dihydroxypropoxy groups by a single hydroxy group. The influence of these structural variations on the liquid crystalline properties of these new materials was investigated by polarized-light microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction. These investigation have shown that, by elongation of the lateral chain, a transition from a smectic monolayer structure (SmA 1 ) via a strongly distorted layer structure (SmA + ), a centered rectangular columnar phase (Col r /c2mm) and a noncentered rectangular columnar phase (Col r /p2gg) to a hexagonal columnar phase (Col h /p6mm) takes place. Elongation of the bolaamphiphilic core leads to the loss of the columnar phases, which are replaced by smectic phases, whereas reduction of its length favors the hexagonal columnar phase. This phase sequence is explained as a result of the microsegregation of the lateral alkyl chains from the rigid aromatic cores. The segregated alkyl chains are organized in columns that interrupt the smectic layers. The hydrogen bonding keep the bolaamphiphilic cores fixed end to end, so that they form networks of cylinders around the lipophilic columns. The space required by the alkyl chains with respect to the length of the bolaamphiphilic cores is restricted and largely determines the geometry of the cylinders, which leads to the observed phase sequence. The obtained mesophase morphologies, built up by three distinct sets of subspaces, are related to morphologies of some ternary block copolymers. Furthermore, the investigated compounds represent a novel class of materials, capable of forming supramolecular columnar mesophases.

Gradual clogging of the apertures of nanostencils used as miniature shadow masks in metal evaporations can be reduced by coating the stencil with self-assembled monolayers (SAM). This is quantified by the dimensions (height and volume) of gold features obtained by nanostencil evaporation as measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). An increase in material deposition through the apertures by more than 100% can be achieved with SAM-coated stencils, which increases their lifetime.

Rigid bolaamphiphiles with lateral alkyl chains such as 1 form columnar mesophases of a novel type based on microsegregation of the three incompatible parts of the molecules (shown schematically).