Tailoring discotic mesophases:: Columnar order enforced with hydrogen bonds

Hydrogen bonding can be used to significantly enforce the intra-columnar stacking order in discotic mesogens. The ordered hexagonal columnar mesophase of a HAT-CONHR derivative is characterized by the smallest-inter-disk distance ever found in columnar liquid crystals (3.18-3.20 Angstrom). This additional attractive interaction between the disks in the column results in a regular disc stacking and thus in a high charge-carrier mobility over the whole investigated temperature range (from room temperature up to 200 degreesC).