Discotic liquid crystals of cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7])-functionalised Laponite clays

作者:Xu, Peicheng; Lan, Yang; Dai, Linjie; O'Neill, Thomas; Stoev, Iliya; Cao, Tianyang; Eiser, Erika*
来源:Molecular Physics, 2018, 116(21-22): 2883-2891.
DOI:10.1080/00268976.2018.1508778

摘要

Here we demonstrate that in the presence of the small, barrel-shaped molecule cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) Laponite clay particles undergo a phase transition into a birefringent gel with lamellar structure and a fluid, Laponite-poor aqueous solution. We employ various characterisation methods and polarised light microscopy to study this transition and the system's structural and optical properties. Furthermore, when dried completely we obtain a layered, transparent composite film, still retaining some liquid-crystalline structure that can be rehydrated reversibly. We argue that this new system may be a model system for anisotropic patchy particles . @@@ [GRAPHICS] @@@ .