CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Organic Materials 2022; 4(04): 190-203
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1757971
Supramolecular Chemistry
Short Review

Supramolecular Tools for the Stabilisation of Blue-Phase Liquid Crystals

Felix Kraus
a   Organic Chemistry and CENIDE, Faculty of Chemistry, University Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 7, 45141 Essen, Germany
,
a   Organic Chemistry and CENIDE, Faculty of Chemistry, University Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 7, 45141 Essen, Germany
b   GUIDE Co-Creation Lab Product Innovations, University Duisburg-Essen, Schützenbahn 70, 45127 Essen, Germany
› Author Affiliations


Abstract

Blue phases (BPs), a unique manifestation of chirality in the liquid crystalline state, have gained considerable attention due to the unusual combination of properties such as sub-millisecond response times to electrical fields and Bragg reflection of circularly polarised light. Initially they were regarded as promising materials for the development of the next-level display technologies. However, in recent years, they have gained increasing attention as responsive photonic materials with sensing or optoelectronics properties (photonic mirrors and filters). A major limitation so far has been their narrow temperature range in which they usually exist. The aim of the present review is to summarise the recent efforts made to stabilise BPs by employing specific non-covalent bonds and the principles of supramolecular chemistry.

1 Introduction

2 Stabilisation of Blue Phases by Supramolecular Methods

2.1 Doping Approach

2.2 Design Approach

3 Conclusions and Outlook



Publication History

Received: 29 June 2022

Accepted after revision: 19 September 2022

Article published online:
26 October 2022

© 2022. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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