Halogen-bonded liquid crystals of 4-alkoxystilbazoles with molecular iodine: a very short halogen bond and unusual mesophase stability

Complexes of molecular iodine with alkoxystilbazoles are liquid crystals with unusually high mesophase stability, predicated on an intermolecular I center dot center dot center dot I contact. Attempts to prepare analogous complexes with bromine led to an unexpected electrophilic substitution product.