Columnar Liquid Crystalline Corannulenes: Synthesis, Assembly and Charge‐Carrier Transport Properties

Main observation and conclusion Two discotic liquid crystalline (LC) molecules consisting of a bowl‐shaped corannulene core and five‐fold photoactive azobenzene branches with different paraffinic side chains were developed. Their self‐assembly, photo‐responsive behavior and charge‐carrier transport properties were investigated in detail. A wider mesophase temperature range was achieved when utilizing longer and furcal flexible side chain substitution. 2D XRD measurements revealed the π‐packed corannulene‐centered 1b ( i.e ., with furcal side alkoxyl chains) exhibited helical columnar LC phase. This packing structure also led to a higher hole charge carrier mobility of 7.07 x 10 –2 cm 2 ·V –1 ·s –1 compared to that of the counterpart 1a with linear side chain substitutions.