Novel liquid‐crystalline (LC) nickel phthalocyanine (Ni−Pc) complexes bearing eight oligosiloxane moieties such as disiloxane and trisiloxane were synthesized and their liquid‐crystalline properties, as well as their carrier transport characteristics in the liquid‐crystalline phase, were studied. These LC Ni−Pc complexes with eight oligosiloxane moieties exhibited a columnar mesophase over a wide range of temperatures, including room temperature. The bulky oligosiloxane moieties inhibited the aggregation of the Ni−Pc cores and stabilized the columnar structure by nanosegregation. Moreover, these LC Pc−Ni complexes showed homeotropic alignment in sandwich‐type cells consisting of substrates coated with indium tin oxide. Time‐of‐flight measurements revealed ambipolar carrier transport properties in the columnar mesophases, in which electron transport was predominant.

The cover picture shows liquid‐crystalline nickel phthalocyanine complexes bearing eight oligosiloxane moieties. At room temperature, these compounds exhibit nanosegregated columnar phases in which crystal‐like π‐stacks are surrounded by liquid‐like mantle consisting of oligosiloxane moieties. The crystal‐like π‐stacks attribute to efficient carrier transport properties characterized by the time‐of‐flight measurement, and the liquid‐like oligosiloxane mantle contributes to the formation of the waxy states. The oligosiloxane side chains not only produce liquid‐like property but also stabilize the nanosegregated structures. More information can be found in the Full Paper by Yamaoka and Funahashi et al. (DOI: 10.1002/slct.201702592).