Liquid crystalline corannulene responsive to electric field.

An amide-appended corannulene derivative (3) with tribranched paraffinic side chains self-assembles into a hexagonal columnar liquid crystalline (LC) mesophase over a wide temperature range from 154 to -10 degrees C. In contrast with columnar LC assemblies of planar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, the LC assembly of nonplanar 3 responds to an applied electric field and can align homeotropically to the electrode surface. Even after the electric field is switched off, this alignment is memorized for a long period of time unless the material is heated above the clearing temperature.