Novel optical anisotropy of a liquid crystalline “cubic” phase in a discotic crown ether derivative

To obtain a columnar structure with nucleophilic channels embedded in the column centres, we synthesized a series of new crown ether derivatives (compounds 1, 2, and 3) which are composed of a core of dibenzo-24-crown-8 symmetrically surrounded by four identical substituents. Experimental results indicate that compounds 2 and 3 with smaller substituents around the dibenzo-24-crown-8 core form only crystalline phases, while compound 1 bearing …