Superfluorinated Ionic Liquid Crystals Based on Supramolecular, Halogen-Bonded Anions

Unconventional ionic liquid crystals in which the liquid crystallinity is enabled by halogen-bonded supramolecular anions [CnF2n+1-I center dot center dot center dot I center dot center dot center dot I-I-CnF2n+1](-) are reported. The material system is unique in many ways, demonstrating for the first time 1) ionic, halogen-bonded liquid crystals, and 2) imidazolium-based ionic liquid crystals in which the occurrence of liquid crystallinity is not driven by the alkyl chains of the cation.