Abstract

AbstractThe tilted smectic C phase is a rather uncommon phase in ionic liquid crystals (ILCs), whereas the orthogonal smectic A phase is the most common phase in ILCs. We now present 2 new groups of mesogens with an azobenzene core that exhibit smectic C as well as smectic A phases. Their phase sequences and tilt angles were studied by polarizing microscopy, and their temperature‐dependent layer spacings and orientational order parameters were investigated by X‐ray diffraction. We present 1 new amidinium azobenzene mesogen that forms enantiotropic smectic C and A phases and another amidinium as well as 2 new guanidinium azobenzene mesogens that exhibit monotropic smectic C and enantiotropic smectic A phases. With this study, we show that azobenzene is indeed an SmC‐promoting group in ILCs. Comparing these results with our earlier results on azobenzenes with an N‐methylimidazolium head group (N Kapernaum et al, ChemPhysChem 2016, 17, 4116‐4123), we show that the aromaticity of the imidazolium head group plays an important role in the formation of smectic C phases.

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