Mutually ordered self-assembly of discotic liquid crystal–graphene nanocomposites

Abstract

The room temperature anthraquinone discotic 1,5-dihydroxy-2,3,6,7-tetrakis(3,7-dimethyloctyloxy)-9,10-anthraquinone (RTAQ) self-assembles in the presence of octadecylamine functionalized graphene (f-graphene) into an ordered sandwich like structure, where the discotic molecules form columnar structures on graphene sheets. Cryo-SEM and SEM images provide evidence for this ordering. This behaviour is also supported by polarizing optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction and conductivity studies of nanocomposites.