X-Shaped Polyphiles Liquid Crystalline Honeycombs with Single Molecule Walls

4 X-Shaped Polyphiles Liquid Crystalline Honeycombs with Single Molecule Walls 

Attaching only one lateral chain to the rod-like core (T-shaped amphiphiles 181-183) gave rise to LC honeycomb phases where the cross-section of the honeycomb walls contains two rods arranged side-by-side, i.e., the honeycombs have double walls (Fig. 61a) [8]. However, attaching two lateral chains to opposite sides of the aromatic core (X-shaped polyphiles like compound 187) generates polygonal honeycombs with walls that are only one molecule thick (Fig. 61b) [319]. As a consequence of the thinner walls, effectively more space is left available for the lateral chains inside the cells. Hence, honeycombs with smaller cells could be achieved by using two short lateral chains instead of only one chain with the same total volume [330]. 

---