Construction of a double helix structure in a columnar liquid crystal phase

Abstract

Although the construction of double-helix structures is an important challenge in supramolecular chemistry, no general construction method has been established for columnar liquid crystal phases. In this study, we have designed and synthesized a new urea molecule with an extended core and six chiral chains, and attempted to construct a double-helix structure in a columnar phase. In the columnar liquid crystal phase, the molecules were self-organized into a double-helix structure, according to the concept (anti-parallel dimerization → intermolecular hydrogen-bond network → chirality-induced helix formation).