Functional Liquid‐Crystalline Assemblies: Self‐Organized Soft Materials

Abstract

In the 21st century, soft materials will become more important as functional materials because of their dynamic nature. Although soft materials are not as highly durable as hard materials, such as metals, ceramics, and engineering plastics, they can respond well to stimuli and the environment. The introduction of order into soft materials induces new dynamic functions. Liquid crystals are ordered soft materials consisting of self-organized molecules and can potentially be used as new functional materials for electron, ion, or molecular transporting, sensory, catalytic, optical, and bio-active materials. For this functionalization, unconventional materials design is required. Herein, we describe new approaches to the functionalization of liquid crystals and show how the design of liquid crystals formed by supramolecular assembly and nano-segregation leads to the formation of a variety of new self-organized functional materials.

Mechanochemistry in Polymers with Supramolecular Mechanophores

“…Hydrogen bonds are one of the most commonly utilized types of intermolecular interaction in the fabrication of supramolecular polymers because of their directional character and the ideal strength. [64][65][66][67] Furthermore, the associative character of a given supramolecular motif can be fine-tuned by controlling the number of hydrogen-bonding sites. The inherent reversible nature of hydrogen bonds bestows supramolecular polymers made from such motifs with adaptive characters such as thermo-, photo-, chemo-and mechanoresponsive properties.…”

“…The inherent reversible nature of hydrogen bonds bestows supramolecular polymers made from such motifs with adaptive characters such as thermo-, photo-, chemo-and mechanoresponsive properties. [64][65][66][67][68][69] In the last 15 years, a large number of hydrogen-bonding supramolecular polymers has been investigated. [70,71] Interestingly, however, only few reports have described mechanically active hydrogen bonds in supramolecular polymers with unambiguous experimental evidence that show dissociation and formation of hydrogen bonds in response to mechanical stimulation.…”

Electro- and Photoactive Molecular Assemblies of Liquid Crystals and Physical Gels

“…[4][5][6][7][8]12 Liquid crystals are unique because molecular order and dynamic states are combined.…”

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] Our strategy has been to develop new functional soft materials that show dynamic function using ordered molecular assemblies. [4][5][6][7][8]12 Liquid crystals are unique because molecular order and dynamic states are combined. [3][4][5][6][7][8] Liquid crystals exhibit a variety of ordered nanostructures as well as the simplest nematic structures that are widely used for informational display.…”

“…Unconventional molecular shapes as well as simple rod and disk shapes can function as mesogens. [3][4][5][6][7]13 Moreover, control of intermolecular interactions such as hydrogen bonding, ionic interactions, and charge-transfer interactions as well as -and van der Waals interactions is important in the design of these ordered soft materials.5-8 Physical gels are soft composite materials consisting of solvents and self-assembled networks of gelators. …”