Ionic conductivity of lithium salt complexes of a polar liquid crystal having a pyridyl moiety

Abstract

A novel polar nematic liquid-crystalline (LC) molecule having a pyridyl moiety has been designed and synthesized. Complexation of the pyridine derivative and solvate ionic liquids (lithium salt coordinated by oligoether) resulted in the induction of smectic LC phases in wide temperature ranges. Raman spectroscopic study of the complexes revealed that the coordination structure of the solvate ionic liquid was preserved in the complexes. High lithium ion conductivities on the order of 10-4 S cm-1 have been achieved for the complexes in the oriented smectic LC phases.