Dibenzo[g,p]chrysene, a novel core for discotic liquid crystals

Dibenzo[g,p]chrysene, a new π-conjugated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, has been found to function as the core fragment for the preparation of discotic liquid crystals. First two derivatives of this novel core were prepared by a palladium-catalyzed annulation reaction of diphenylacetylenes with 2-iodobiaryls, followed by oxidative coupling. Charge-transfer interactions that induced columnar mesophase formation was observed in both the compounds. Their mesomorphic behavior was studied by polarizing microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry.