Stabilization of blue phases by hydrogen-bonded bent-shaped and T-shaped molecules featuring a branched terminal group

Abstract

The stabilization of liquid crystalline blue phases (BPs) from novel hydrogen-bonded (H-bonded) bent-shaped and T-shaped assemblies (HBAs) has been described for the first time in this study. Different kinds of H-bonded bent-shaped and T-shaped molecules were assembled, and then used to broaden the BP temperature range of liquid crystal (LC) samples. The results demonstrate that the temperature range of BPs is significantly influenced by HBA dopants, in which the widest BP temperature range was 15.1 °C. Moreover, the lower temperature of BPs is very close to room temperature, which is of benefit to the application of BPs in LC displays. Additionally, according to the experimental analysis and molecular simulations, the physical mechanism of the BP stabilization by bent-shaped and T-shaped molecules is mainly related to the molecular geometry and is not dependent on the LC phase. This study has developed a new and facile strategy to widen the BP temperature range from the aspect of the molecular design.