Ultrastable liquid crystalline blue phase from molecular synergistic self-assembly

Wei Hu, Ling Wang, Meng Wang, Tingjun Zhong, Qian Wang, Lanying Zhang, Feiwu Chen, Kexuan Li, Zongcheng Miao, Dengke Yang and Huai Yang ()
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Wei Hu: Peking University
Ling Wang: Tianjin University
Meng Wang: Peking University
Tingjun Zhong: Peking University
Qian Wang: Peking University
Lanying Zhang: Peking University
Feiwu Chen: University of Science and Technology Beijing
Kexuan Li: Xijing University
Zongcheng Miao: Xijing University
Dengke Yang: Kent State University
Huai Yang: Peking University

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Fabricating functional materials via molecular self-assembly is a promising approach, and precisely controlling the molecular building blocks of nanostructures in the self-assembly process is an essential and challenging task. Blue phase liquid crystals are fascinating self-assembled three-dimensional nanomaterials because of their potential information displays and tuneable photonic applications. However, one of the main obstacles to their applications is their narrow temperature range of a few degrees centigrade, although many prior studies have broadened it to tens via molecular design. In this work, a series of tailored uniaxial rodlike mesogens disfavouring the formation of blue phases are introduced into a blue phase system comprising biaxial dimeric mesogens, a blue phase is observed continuously over a temperature range of 280 °C, and the range remains over 132.0 °C after excluding the frozen glassy state. The findings show that the molecular synergistic self-assembly behavior of biaxial and uniaxial mesogens may play a crucial role in achieving the ultrastable three-dimensional nanostructure of blue phases.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21564-y

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