Ion and hole dual-channel transport columnar mesomorphic organic electronic materials with high anisotropic conductivities based on supramolecular discotic ionic liquid crystals. Issue 11 (26th February 2021) - Chen, Jian
Abstract : Discotic ILCs via host–guest complexation of tris(18-crown-6)triphenylene and potassium trialkoxybenzenesulfonate in aligned columnar mesophases are capable of dual-channel transport showing both high ionic conductivities and hole mobilities. Abstract : Thermotropic ionic liquid crystals (ILCs) are a kind of fascinating functional organic material combining the characteristics and advantages of both liquid crystals (LC) and ionic liquids. Here in this work, a series of supramolecular discotic ILCs of Cn-tri-CTP have been produced through host–guest complexation together with π–π stacking and electrostatic interactions between the readily prepared electrically neutral tris(18-crown-6)triphenylene (tri-CTP) and the facilely available potassium trialkoxybenzenesulfonates with different length alkyl tails of carbon number n = 8, 10, 12, 14, 16. The thus obtained ILC complexes show enantiotropic ordered columnar mesophases, such as center-faced rectangular columnar (Colr ) and oblique columnar (Colob ) mesophases with broad LC temperature ranges and excellent thermal stability. It is very interesting and fascinating to find that after a simple alignment, such supramolecular discotic ILC complexes in their ordered columnar structures achieve simultaneously anisotropic ionic conductivities as high as 1.99 × 10 −2 S cm −1 and hole mobility reaching 4.6 × 10 −2 cm 2 V −1 s −1, thus exhibiting fantastic dual-channel transport properties both for ions and holes, which may develop into a kind of versatile organic electronic material for various promising unique applications.