Stacking bowl-shaped molecules

In addition to the nematic phase (termed Nq), disc or bowl-shaped molecules may stack in layers (discotic smectic), or much more often, to columns forming so-called columnar (Col) discotic or columnar pyramidic... 

Other liquid crystal phases composed of molecules having unusual molecular shapes are also known. Some compounds form a cone or bowl shape. These materials are often referred to as bowlic, and some typical examples are hexasubstituted tribenzocyclonones and aza-crowns (17), molecules of which stack on top of each other to form an ordered column which may have anomalous electrical conductivity. When a disklike molecule is divided by a rod-shaped spacer, the molecule (18) is referred to as a phasmid. It exhibits phases bearing some resemblance to columnar discotics. 

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