Issue 3, 2018

Guanine–oligothiophene conjugates: liquid-crystalline properties, photoconductivities and ion-responsive emission of their nanoscale assemblies

Abstract

We here report the supramolecular self-assembly of hydrogen-bonded motifs for the development of nanostructured materials that exhibit dynamic functions such as stimuli-responsive properties and molecular recognition behaviour. We have designed and synthesised new thermotropic bicontinuous and columnar liquid-crystalline (LC) guanine–oligothiophene conjugates tethered with lipophilic chains, which exhibit ionic, electronic and photoluminescence properties. Their potassium salt complexes self-assemble into thermotropic columnar LC phases. Time-of-flight photoconductivity measurements have revealed that the guanine–oligothiophene conjugates in the LC states possess charge transport abilities with either electron or ambipolar mobility values of 10−4 to 10−3 cm2 V−1 s−1. Furthermore, we have found that the complexation of potassium ions with the guanine motif could lead not only to structural change and thermal stabilization of the LC phases but also to a photoluminescence colour change in the solid states. The strategy presented in this work could lead to the design of new functional LC materials that could potentially be applicable as sensors and electronic devices.

Graphical abstract: Guanine–oligothiophene conjugates: liquid-crystalline properties, photoconductivities and ion-responsive emission of their nanoscale assemblies

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
28 Aug 2017
Accepted
24 Oct 2017
First published
24 Oct 2017
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Chem. Sci., 2018,9, 576-585

Guanine–oligothiophene conjugates: liquid-crystalline properties, photoconductivities and ion-responsive emission of their nanoscale assemblies

K. P. Gan, M. Yoshio, Y. Sugihara and T. Kato, Chem. Sci., 2018, 9, 576 DOI: 10.1039/C7SC03764C

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