Characterization of the cationic species formed in p-doped discotic liquid crystals

Abstract

UV–VIS absorption spectroscopy has been used to characterize the cationic species produced by doping the discotic liquid crystal 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexahexyloxytriphenylene (HAT6,1) with aluminium trichioride. A comparison of the spectrum for the conducting doped liquid crystal with those obtained by oxidising HAT6 in solution establishes that the product in both systems is one in which a single charge is confined to a single molecule, i.e. the radical cation HAT6˙⁺ rather than a non-covalently bound dimer (HAT6)₂˙⁺.