RSC Advances Blog

Shobhana Menon and colleagues from Gujarat University, India, have designed a new series of lower rim azocalix[4]arene basket-type mesogens.  Along with their rigid core, calix[4]arenes are easy to functionalize with various linkages and flexible aliphatic chains at the hydrophilic hydroxyl groups.  They are therefore promising candidates for liquid crystal applications.

The new basket-shaped scaffolds were fully characterised, and the proposed supramolecular organisation displays needle shaped, focal conic, rod like and schlieren textures (see image). 

Read the full article for free until the 25th March 2013!

Synthesis, mesomorphism and dielectric behaviour of novel basket shaped scaffolds constructed on lower rim azocalix[4]arenes, Pinkesh G. Sutariya, Nishith R. Modi, Alok Pandya, V. A. Rana and Shobhana K. Menon, RSC Adv., 2013, DOI: 10.1039/C3RA22422H