First examples of monodisperse discotic liquid crystal pentamers: synthesis and mesomorphism

The synthesis and mesomorphism of the first examples of ‘discotic liquid crystal pentamers’ are reported. Structural characterization of these difunctional pentamers has been achieved by FTIR, NMR, and elemental analysis. The mesophase behavior exhibited by these ‘star-shaped’ molecules has been studied by polarizing optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The columnar hexagonal structure of the mesophase was established with the help of X-ray diffraction studies.