The 2D-correlated structures of a lyotropic liquid crystalline diol with a phenylpyrimidine coreElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: X-ray diffraction data and details on the calculation of the electron density maps. See DOI: 10.1039/c2jm32868b

• Main Authors: Bruckner, Johanna R, Krueerke, Daniel, Porada, Jan H, Jagiella, Stefan, Blunk, Dirk, Giesselmann, Frank
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 14.08.2012
• ISSN: 0959-9428; 1364-5501
• DOI: 10.1039/c2jm32868b

Even though the fluid tilted smectic C (SmC) phase is one of the most common phases in thermotropic liquid crystals, the lyotropic analogue to SmC is practically unknown so far. One of the rare examples, a lyotropic liquid crystalline diol, which was reported in 1991 to show this phase, was re-examined by means of detailed X-ray diffraction and polarised optical microscopy. Although the diol possesses a smectic C promoting phenylpyrimidine core, it was not possible to verify the existence of a SmC-analogue lyotropic phase. Instead, the phase diagram shows the existence of five different lyotropic phases identified as nematic, lamellar L and hexagonal as well as two novel complex 2D-correlated lyophases. Results obtained by electron density calculations and X-ray diffraction data strongly suggest that the structure of one of these phases possesses a pseudo- c 2 mm symmetry and is built up of two different kinds of columns, whereas the other one is a ribbon phase of the oblique plane group p 2. Detailed X-ray investigations and calculated electron density maps cast a new light on the complexity of lyotropic liquid crystals by revealing two so far unreported 2D-correlated structures.