The Halogen Bond: An Emerging Supramolecular Tool in the Design of Functional Mesomorphic Materials

Owing to their dynamic attributes, non-covalent supramolecular interactions have enabled a new paradigm in the design and fabrication of multifunctional material systems with programmable properties, performances, and reconfigurable traits. Recently, the “halogen bond” has become an enticing supramolecular synthetic tool that displays a plethora of promising and advantageous characteristics. Consequently, this versatile and dynamic non-covalent interaction has been extensively harnessed in various fields such as crystal engineering, self-assembly, materials science, polymer chemistry, biochemistry, medicinal chemistry and nanotechnology. In recent years, halogen bonding has emerged as a tunable supramolecular synthetic tool in the design of functional liquid-crystalline materials with adjustable phases and properties. In this Concept article, the use of halogen bond in the field of stimuli-responsive smart soft materials, that is, liquid crystals is discussed. The design, synthesis and characterization of molecular and macromolecular liquid crystalline materials are described and the modulation of their properties has been emphasized. The power of halogen bonding in offering a large variety of functional liquid crystalline materials from readily accessible mesomorphic and non-mesomorphic complementary building blocks is highlighted. The article concludes with a perspective on the challenges and opportunities in this emerging endeavor towards the realization of enabling and elegant dynamic functional materials.