Synthesis and self-assembly of photoresponsive and luminescent polycatenar liquid crystals incorporating an azobenzene unit interconnecting two 1,3,4-thiadiazolesElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c6nj02604d

• Main Authors: Peng, Xiongwei, Gao, Hongfei, Xiao, Yulong, Cheng, Huifang, Huang, Fanran, Cheng, Xiaohong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1144-0546; 1369-9261
• DOI: 10.1039/c6nj02604d

Novel polycatenar liquid crystals containing two 1,3,4-thiadiazole rings interconnected by an azobenzene central linkage have been synthesized and investigated by polarizing microscopy, DSC, X-ray scattering, SEM, UV-vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence measurements. These compounds can self-assemble into SmC, Col hex / p 6 mm and Cub I / Pm 3&cmb.macr; n liquid crystalline phases in the bulk states and form multistimuli responsive organogels in organic solvents. They have reversible photoresponsive properties in solution, liquid crystalline states and gel states. They also show fluorescence emission with large Stokes shift in solution and binding selectivity to Cu 2+ among a series of cations in CH 3 CN-CH 2 Cl 2 solution. Target compounds can self-assemble into a thermotropic LC phase sequence of SmC-Col hex -Cub I and have binding selectivity to Cu 2+ .