Preparation of Stable Anisotropic Films with Columnar Order from Polymerizable Star-shaped Supramolecular Liquid Crystals

We have fabricated new stable anisotropic films with columnar order using star-shaped supramolecular liquid crystals as photoreactive monomers. The polymerizable supramolecular liquid crystal exhibiting a hexagonal columnar mesophase has been prepared simply through hydrogen bonding between a phloroglucinol core and pyridine derivatives containing acrylate groups in the alkyl chain. Photopolymerization of the supramolecular monomer in the liquid crystalline state yielded cross-linked anisotropic polymer networks with columnar order. The controlled approach in the present study opens a new way to design and prepare stable anisotropic materials for potential electronic and optical applications.