Self-assembly of coil-rod-coil molecules into bicontinuous cubic and oblique columnar assemblies depending on coil chain length

Coil-rod-coil molecules 1–3, consisting of four biphenyls and a p-terphenyl unit linked together with ether bonds as a rod segment and poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) with a degree of polymerization (DP) of 7, 12, 17 as coil segments were synthesized. These molecules contain lateral methyl groups at 2 and 5 positions of the middle benzene ring of p-terphenyl. The self-assembling behavior of molecules 1–3 was investigated by means of DSC, POM and SAXS in the bulk state. Molecule 1 self-organizes into a lamellar structure in the bulk state and transfers into a bicontinuous cubic structure in the liquid crystalline phase. While, molecules 2, 3 containing longer coil chains than 1 self-assemble into the hexagonal perforated lamellar (HPL) structures and the oblique columnar structures in the solid state and liquid crystalline phase, respectively. These results reveal that self-organizing behavior of such molecules is dramatically influenced by the length of the coil chains connected with the rod building block, as well as the lateral methyl groups incorporating in the middle of the rod segment.