Tailoring Chiral Discotic Liquid Crystals: Mesophase Engineering through Alternative Approaches and Chain Lengths

Hydrogen (H)-bonding is crucial in constructing superstructures in chemical (such as chiral discotic liquid crystals (DLCs)) as well as in biological systems due to its specific and directional nature. In this context, we achieved the successful synthesis of two branches of heptazine-based H-bonded complexes using distinct strategies. Hpz*-Es-Cn, we incorporated chiral alkyl tails (Hpz-chiral) onto the central C3 symmetric heptazine core, connected to achiral benzoic acid derivatives (Es-Cn acid) through H-bonding. In Hpz-Es-Cn-acid*, we used an achiral heptazine derivative (Hpz-Es-Cn) linked to a chiral acid via H-bonding. On the other hand, based on the DSC results, we observed that Hpz*-Es-Cn complexes exhibited three distinct phases, whereas Hpz-Es-Cn-acid* complexes displayed only a single mesophase. In polarized optical microscopy (POM) observations, all the complexes displayed birefringence at room temperature, with the color of the POM images changing as the temperature varied. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies at lower temperatures confirmed that Hpz*-Es-C8 exhibited the columnar rectangular (Colr) phase, while Hpz*-Es-C10/12 exhibited the columnar oblique (Colob) phase. However, all the H-bonded complexes exhibited the columnar hexagonal (Colh) phase at higher temperatures. The chiroptical spectra recorded by Circular dichroism (CD) highlight the specific observations in the columnar phase of two complexes, Hpz*-Es-C10 and Hpz*-Es-C12. This behavior has potential applications in various fields, including sensors, displays, and responsive materials. Hydrogen (H)-bonded discotic liquid crystals (DLCs) were synthesized through two distinct methods. The first approach introduced a chiral core connected via H-bonding to an achiral system, yielding supramolecular chirality within the columns. In the second method, an achiral core to a chiral system was introduced through H-bonding. Additionally, the peripheral alkyl chain lengths of the DLCs were changed, resulting in temperature-induced transformations in their internal structure.+image