Paramagnetic Liquid Crystals With Close π-π Packing: The Effect of Blatter Radical Planarization on Behavior of Bent-Core Mesogens

A new, 19 pi-delocalized electrons planar Blatter radical building block was developed and used to obtain paramagnetic bent-core liquid crystals. The mesogens were investigated by optical, thermal, powder XRD and DFT methods in the pure form and as binary mixtures. Comparison of their properties with those of the classical Blatter radical analogues revealed that planarization of the central angular element results in a significantly higher stability of the mesophases and increased molecular organization suitable for the formation of ordered banana and columnar mesophases with tighter pi-pi interactions. These results indicate access to a new, potentially rich class of functional paramagnetic soft materials.

Automated summary

A new planar Blatter radical building block with 19 pi-delocalized electrons was developed for obtaining paramagnetic bent-core liquid crystals. The mesogens were studied in pure form and as binary mixtures using optical, thermal, powder XRD, and DFT methods. Comparisons with classical Blatter radical analogues revealed that planarization of the central angular element led to significantly higher stability of the mesophases and increased molecular organization, suitable for the formation of ordered banana and columnar mesophases with stronger pi-pi interactions. These results suggest the potential for accessing a new class of functional paramagnetic soft materials.