Supramolecular columnar nanostructures from self-organization of coil–rod–coil molecules incorporating an anthracene unit

We report the synthesis and self-assembly behavior of coil–rod–coil molecules. These molecules each consist of two biphenyl groups and an anthracene unit connected with ethynyl bonds at the 1,8-position of anthracene as a rod segment, with methoxy or octyl groups at the 10-position of anthracene, and poly(ethylene oxide) with degrees of polymerization of 12 and 17 linked to the biphenyls as coil segments. Structural investigation of these molecules by means of differential scanning calorimetry, polarized optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction in the bulk state reveals that these molecules self-assemble into lamellar structures in the solid state, while, in the liquid-crystalline phase, they self-organize into various columnar assemblies depending on the volume fraction of coil segments. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry