First asymmetrically β-tetrasubstituted porphyrin-based discotic lamellar liquid crystal

The synthesis and liquid crystalline properties of a new asymetrically tetrasubstituted porphyrin, namely 2,4-bis[2-(o-didodecyloxyphenoxycarbonyl)ethenyl]-6,7-bis[2-(m-didodecyloxycarbonyl)ethyl]-1,3,5,8-tetramethylporphyrin, 1 (figure 1), obtained from a commercially available porphyrin, hemin 2, are reported here. The synthetic route basically consists of two reactions: on the one hand, one esterification of the two propionic acid groups in positions 6 and 7 in the hemin 2 with the phenol 12, and on the other hand, a Heck-type reaction between the two vinyl groups in positions 2 and 4 of the hemin 2 and the iodo-aryl derivative 9. This is the first example of a porphyrin-based discotic liquid crystal which is neither symmetrically substituted nor prepared via total synthesis from monopyrrole units. It exhibits a well-defined enantiotropic discotic lamellar mesophase (D-L) in a range of temperature from -2degreesC to the clearing point at 70degreesC. This interval includes room temperature, which makes this molecule suitable for a wide variety of applications.