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).
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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