Mineral liquid crystals from self-assembly of anisotropic nanosystems

In this article we review the mesogenic properties of the mineral liquid crystals (MLCs) based on molecular nanowires: Li2Mo6Se6; nanotubes: Imogolite and NaNb2PS10; molecular ribbons: V2O5; exfoliated single sheets: smectic clays and H3Sb3P2O14; nanorods: Boehmite (gamma-AlOOH), Akaganeite (beta-FeOOH), Goethite (alpha-FeOOH); platelets: Gibbsite (Al(OH)(3)); disks: Ni(OH)(2); bio-mineral hybrids. We then propose numerous phases that could load to the discovery of new MLCs. We finally review how the properties of these mesophases and their collective behavior have been used for making mesoporous composites with anisotropic properties, for making nanodevices and solar cells, as well as how they could be used to allow. the measurement of residual dipolar couplings in NMR studies of biomolecules.