Design of Liquid-Crystalline Ionic Rotaxane by Formation of Penetrating Structure

Abstract

Ionic liquid crystals can utilize counter ions in molecular design, enabling more diverse molecular design approaches than non-ionic liquid crystals. Ionic molecules are also used in the design of intermolecular interactions, and the self-assembly of cyclic molecules onto ionic axial molecules is widely used in the design of mechanical interlock structures such as rotaxanes. In this study, we report a novel design concept of ionic liquid-crystalline molecules that exhibit liquid-crystalline properties by forming rotaxane structures and the experimental results that prove the concept. We believe that this will be a molecular design approach that will add new functionality to ionic liquid crystals.