Effect of Fullerene Volume Fraction on Two-Dimensional Crystal-Constructed Supramolecular Liquid Crystals

Chem Asian J. 2019 Jan 4;14(1):125-129. doi: 10.1002/asia.201801334. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

Abstract

The volume fraction plays an important role in phase segregated soft matters. We demonstrate here that at high fullerene volume fraction in soft chain-tethered-fullerene dyads, different two-dimensional (2D) crystal-constructed smectic-like lamella liquid crystalline (LC) phases can be formed with triple-layer (ST phase) or quadruple-layer (SQ phase) stacking of fullerenes in 2D crystals. The combination of 2D crystal and LC properties in one system affords these fullerene dyads controlled electron mobility in the range of 10-5 -10-3 cm2 V-1 s-1 at room temperature (ST phase), by regulating the insulated soft layer thickness between 2D crystals via the manipulation of fullerene volume fraction.

Keywords: electron mobility; fullerenes; liquid crystals; two-dimensional crystals.