Formation of a Double Diamond Cubic Phase by Thermotropic Liquid Crystalline Self-Assembly of Bundled Bolaamphiphiles.

ABSTRACT: A quaternary amphiphile with swallow-tail side groups displays a new bicontinuous thermotropic cubic phase with symmetry Pn3? m and formed by two interpenetrating networks where cylindrical segments are linked by H?bonds at tetrahedral junctions. Each network segment contains two bundles, each containing 12 rod-like mesogens, lying along the segment axis. This assembly leads to the first thermotropic structure of the "double diamond" type. A quantitative geometric model is proposed to explain the occurrence of this rare phase.

SUBMITTER: Zeng X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5089568 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature