1,3,4-Oxadiazole based liquid crystals

Abstract

Liquid crystals with 1,3,4-oxadiazole units in the aromatic core have attracted considerable attention due to their rich mesophases, high photoluminescence quantum yields, good electron transporting ability and excellent thermal stabilities. In this feature article, 1,3,4-oxadiazole-based liquid crystals are classified into three categories according to their different molecular shapes and molecular weight: calamitic and discotic monomers, symmetric and non-symmetric dimers, and polymers including main-chain, side-chain and mesogen-jacketed types. The structure–property relationships of this kind of liquid crystal are discussed in-depth, with an emphasis on strategies to devise columnar and biaxial nematic mesophases with a low temperature range.