Carbon nanotubes in triphenylene and rufigallol-based room temperature monomeric and polymeric discotic liquid crystals

In this article, after a brief account of the work carried out in the area of dispersion of carbon nanotubes in liquid crystals, we present the dispersion of functionalized single-wall carbon nanotubes in novel room temperature liquid crystalline discotic monomers and polymers. The effect of nanotubes on phase behavior of electron-rich triphenylene derivatives and electron-deficient anthraquinone derivatives has been investigated. Mesophase behavior of the composites with nanotubes has been studied by polarizing optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffractometry. Inclusion of carbon nanotubes into the columnar matrix does not destroy the mesophase of the host compounds but the columnar to isotropic transition temperatures decrease with increase in the quantity of carbon nanotubes in both monomeric and polymeric discotic liquid crystals.